KidsHealthWatch
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Media and Children Raising children has always been a daunting and challenging task. As parents, we try to provide as much instruction and direction as we can to our children, but we always worry about outside influences which may mislead them. In the past, the influences of television, movies, books, and magazines have been sources of this influence. However, today there are many additional influences such as video games, the Internet, phone apps, and social media that we seem to have less control over and are more difficult to monitor. This article will hopefully provide some resources with in depth information to make your role as a parent a little easier. There are many web sites that may provide guidelines in determining which media outlets may be appropriate for children of different ages and teenagers. These are a few sites that may assist you in keeping you children safe: • www.commomsensemedia.org: A non-partisan, not for profit organization that reviews a wide variety of media outlets. It provides reviews for movies, games, apps, web sites, television programs, books and music for all age groups. Very helpful. • cmch.tv: The Center on Media and Child Health is provided by Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. This is an educational site which provides scientific research in media and children. One unique features is an area called “Meet the Mediatrician” in which you are able to ask questions of a pediatrician who is well versed in the affect of media on children.
• www.netsmartz.org: From the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This site provides a multitude of general information on topics such as Basic Internet Safety, Blogging, Cell Phone Use, Gaming, and many other topics. It also provides video presentations on media safety for parents, teens, and children. • www.ikeepsafe.org: A non-profit international coalition of educators, law enforcement members, technology experts, and others which tracks trends around the world on issues related to media and children. • www.parentfurther.com: From Search Institute, a non-profit organization in Minneapolis, that provides research-based information on a wide range of parenting topics including technology and media, discipline, values, high risk behavior, and child development. Monitoring all the various media outlets could seem to be an overwhelming task, especially if you have several children. But, as for most other tasks, there’s an app for that - in fact several apps. • Mamabear: A way to provide a connection between parent and child when they are away from home. Allows parents to know where their children are by GPS and cell phone technology and allows them to get in touch with you easily. Enables you to set parameters on their social media and even know when they are speeding. • uKnowkids: Tracks activity on social networks, smart phone calls, texts, and emails. Requires subscription fee of $9.95 a month.
• Norton Online Family: Monitor website activity on smartphone and computer, block unwanted sites, set time limits on computer time, monitor social networking plus other features. Basic subscription is free; Premier service is about $50 a year. There are of course many other web sites and resources that allow you to learn of pitfalls and dangerous situations your child might face in cyberspace and ways to monitor your child’s safety. Your child, especially a teenager, might complain that such monitoring is too intrusive and you should allow them to make their own choices. Quite frankly, it is the role of a parent to be intrusive in their children’s lives. Children and teenagers often do not have the judgment, knowledge, and life experiences to make proper decisions, so parents need to be there to guide them in making good decisions. The best technique in supervising your child may be the old fashioned way – just sit down and talk with them. Explain what you are doing and why, discuss what you expect of them, explore ways they can deal with situations, and discuss consequences of choices they make. This may be something that has to be repeated, but in the end, let them know that you really love them and you want them to grow up to be healthy, happy, successful adults. Dr. Coggin received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and did his pediatric residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He began private practice in Mississippi and has been in Montgomery since 1983. He has two married daughters, one in Montgomery and one in Telluride, Colorado. He enjoys college sports with his wife, Cathy, who is an attorney.
Dr. C. Allen White Dr. Robert L. Coggin Dr. David W. Drennen Dr. Karen Doles Dr. Malissa Hoy
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