Where kids are concerned, TV and movies get a bad rap. With childhood obesity rates at an all-time high and growing concerns over violence and other content, this negative attitude toward children’s media is understandable. Let’s not forget, though, that kids’ media has a positive side as well. With wise, consistent limits and parental supervision, TV actually can be good for children. Here are 10 ideas on how TV and movies can benefit kids:
- Kids can learn about a variety of subjects from TV shows and documentaries.
If there’s a subject your child enjoys, more likely than not, there is a TV show, movie, or DVD that explores the subject in detail. Children love to watch the shows on Discovery Channel or Animal Planet, and it is surprising how many kids watch DIY, HGTV, and the cooking channels as well. Help kids find shows or movies about a topic that interest them, and TV time becomes educational as well as fun.
- TV programs can help kids develop an enthusiasm for learning.
Not only can TV shows and movies teach kids about topics they already love, they can also spark an often intense interest in something new. If your child shows an interest in something they see on TV, take advantage of the moment. Parents can help kids go online or read a book to learn more about a topic. Also, kids may enjoy trying a new skill or sport after seeing it done on TV.
- TV shows and movies can show kids places, animals, or things that they couldn’t see otherwise.
Most kids are not able to visit the rain forest or see a giraffe in the wild, but many have seen these things on TV. Thankfully, educationally minded producers have given us many shows and movies that allow viewers to see amazing footage of nature, animals, and other peoples. Kids and adults alike can learn from this type of media and gain a greater appreciation for our world and the animals and other people who inhabit it.
- TV shows and educational DVDs can provide a springboard for additional learning.
Kids like games, and they also like learning activities more if the activities involve beloved characters. Preschoolers’ shows are especially effective when it comes to generating ideas for learning games. A child who loves Blue’s Clues, for example, would have a blast playing the same clue-finding game at home. Educational shows are designed to make learning fun, so parents and educators can leverage show ideas and characters to help kids play, learn, and think.
- Watching movies can motivate kids to read books.
Of the new movies that are released each year, you can bet that several of them are based on books. Parents can challenge kids to read a book with the promise of going to the theater or renting the movie when they finish it. Or, kids may see a movie and like it so much that they decide to read the book.
- Thinking about and discussing media can help kids build analytical skills.
What do you think will happen next? What will the result of that character’s actions be? What could that character have done instead? These types of questions cause kids to think and make TV viewing a more active experience. More important than just memorizing facts, thinking skills empower kids and will serve them for the rest of their lives.
- Discussing TV shows/movies can help kids practice a variety of literacy skills.
Parents can help kids develop literary thinking skills by discussing shows with kids. In family discussions, compare and contrast characters or shows, point out the main character, or describe the plot. Talk about the setting, and main idea. What was the conflict and how was it resolved? These discussions help kids practice for all those upcoming essay tests they'll have to take, and most importantly, kids may find that talking about this stuff can actually be fun!
- While watching TV with kids, parents can teach them the truth about advertising.
Advertising may be annoying, but it does present yet another opportunity to develop kids’ thinking skills. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, young children may not even know the difference between programs and commercials. They are just soaking it all in and applying it to their reality. Parents can explain the purpose of advertising to children, and allow them to analyze the methods used by advertisers to sell a product.
- TV can give kids positive role models and examples.
Children are influenced by people they see on television, especially other kids. Obviously, this can have a negative result, but it can be positive too. Lately, kids' TV shows have begun promoting some positive agendas such as healthy living and environmental awareness. As kids see their favorite characters making positive choices, they will be influenced in a good way. Parents can also point out positive traits that characters display and thereby spark valuable family discussions.
- Parents can use TV time to teach kids about discipline, self-control and setting limits.
We hear it all the time from the experts - kids need limits. One reason for this is so that they can learn about the process of setting and adhering to limits. When parents are consistent with TV time rules, kids learn about being consistent with limits. And of course, parents can set an example for kids by limiting their own TV time.
Daniel Anderson, a prominent researcher who has conducted several studies on children and television, sums up the situation with children and media perfectly when he describes his research on the subject stating, “I hope the broader impact of my research will increase awareness at many levels so that we can be cognizant of both the promise and the peril of what we are doing.” Media truly can have a positive effect on children, but it is up to the parents, caregivers and educators in their lives to ensure that kids’ viewing experiences are enriching and not damaging.
