What You Can Do Y
ou are not alone. Two-thirds of parents
surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation say they are very concerned about the amount of inappropriate content children in this country are exposed to. Nearly a quarter report that dealing with inappropriate content is one of the top concerns they face as a parent. Decide that you are ready to speak up, speak out, and take action! Send this kit to 10 family members and friends to get the conversation started.
Easy (and green!) ways to share the kit: • Go to www.KIDSMEDIAMATTERS.org and click on “Share this Kit,” or click on “Share” in the email you received when you signed up for the kit. • Spread the word on Facebook from KIDSMEDIAMATTERS.org. • Take the Kids Media Matters Challenge—track your media use for one week. • Report back on KIDSMEDIAMATTERS.org about how your week went, and share strategies with other families.
• Learn more about the real choices public media provides for children. Sign up for more information at KIDSMEDIAMATTERS.org. • Monitor what your child is exposed to outside your home. Talk to other parents about their views on TV and computers, and their practices. • Compare notes on kid-friendly recommendations with other parents and caregivers. • Brainstorm with friends, neighbors, and other parents about fair-weather activities that get kids out of the house and interacting with one another (like you used to). • Broaden your child’s play-date horizons. • Get advice from your child’s teachers, doctors, and other pivotal partners. • Organize a PTA group (community group, daycare parents, etc.) to share experiences and advice about TV and computers. • Become a Kids’ Media Advocate. Create your personal fundraising page at KIDSMEDIAMATTERS.org to help support the WGBH Kids Media Fund, and to spread the word. • Support the WGBH Kids Media Fund.
61% of all US children 8 and older report that their families have no rules about TV watching.
44% of children and teens report watching different programs when their parents are not around. The best indicator of a child’s future success in school is the educational level of the parents.
Children in 114,000 Massachusetts families have a parent who cannot read aloud to them. Get involved. Get online.
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KidsMediaMatters.org