Sponsors:

AAFCS Massachusetts Avenue Building Assets Fund

Helen LeBaron Hilton Fund, ISU

Iowa Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Elva Davies Fund

The Ready to Learn Service of Iowa Public Television

Iowa State University Extension to 4-H Youth Development

Iowa State University Extension to Families.

Original broadcast date: November 19, 2001

Faith Rogow Addresses Your Questions

"Media Literacy: A Potent Antidote to Media Violence"

Faith Rogow, Ph.D., President, Alliance for a Media Literate America

Are some of the games for Game Boy violent?
Yes. Several games originally developed for other platforms are also available for Game Boy (e.g., Doom)

What are some good preschool development books for parents?
There are many, many possibilities here, but two of the most readable are THE PRESCHOOL YEARS by Ellen Galinsky and Judy David (Ballantine) and MISTER ROGERS TALKS WITH PARENTS by Fred Rogers (Barnes & Noble Books).

How does the U.S. compare to other countries in monitoring exposure to media violence?
I don't know of anyone who has created any kind of neat chart on this, but one important factor is that the amount of media that is easily available to American children is far greater than what is available to most of the world's children. We have more TV sets, TV channels, computers, video stores and VCRs (and now DVDs) in our homes than in any other country. Since the impact of violent media has a lot to do with the amount of exposure, this widespread availability may make the American situation very different than most other countries. Also, check the studies referenced by Dr. Bushman in his responses.
<Return to top>

Children want to act out what they see and learn. How does this relate to sex education? Is this something they want to act out also?
There are lots of parallels between violence and sex:
Unmitigated imitation is only an issue for very young children. That is, a two or three year old may copy nearly anything they see because imitation is one of the key ways they learn about the world. So with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers we need to be extra careful with what they see so that a single attempt at imitation doesn't result in injury. But young children aren't likely to copy things that don't interest them, and it is more important for concerned adults to focus on patterns of behavior than single instances of imitation.

Like adults, older children may get an idea from media that might not have independently occurred to them, but at some point they make a choice about whether or not to act on that idea. That choice is influenced by several factors that have little to do with media.

First, the person has to be interested in the behavior. So a child who isn't yet interested in sex isn't likely to copy what they see, but a child who is beginning to have sexual feelings might, for example, adopt a strategy for approaching a partner for a first kiss that they have seen in the media. In other words, seeing the kiss doesn't make someone who isn't interested in kissing all of the sudden become ready to start kissing. It may shape behavior of someone who is already interested in kissing. The same thing is true with violence. A child who is not at all aggressive is not likely to copy a wrestling move, but a child who already likes physical "horsing around" may get an idea for a particular move by watching wrestling.

Second, whether or not something becomes a pattern of behavior is highly dependent on the reaction and/or reward people get for the behavior. So if a seven-year-old copies the sexy moves of Britney Spears and the reaction of her parents is "Oh, how cute!" and the response of her peers is to think that she is cool, she is likely to repeat the behavior ­ and not because she wants to be sexy, but because she likes the positive attention. In all likelihood she doesn't even understand what "sexy" is. So it is important for adults to pay attention to what's really being expressed. Are young kids who use sexual language trying to be sexy, or are they just trying to seem more grown up? Are they expressing actual sexual desire or are they just trying to do something they think will make them popular? Are they confusing sex with being loved?

Third, media portrayals rarely have more influence than well-established core values. We tend not to pay much attention to media when it contradicts what we already know to be true. So if we know that downing a bottle of scotch is likely to make us ill, then we're not likely to be persuaded by media that says that drinking that scotch will make our sexual fantasies come true. So kids who grow up with clear messages are not as likely to be influenced by media as kids who come from an environment where such value messages are absent.

Fourth, how widespread is the portrayal, i.e., is it so common it seems "normal"? And is it reinforced by things in real life, as well as in media?

<Return to top>

Why do kids like violent media and what can we do without getting into a battle with them about what they are allowed to see?
Age and type of violence make a difference here. Preschoolers are often attracted to slapstick violence because they enjoy the element of surprise, not because they are particularly attracted to violence. Laughing at what is unusual demonstrates an understanding of what is normal or what should be happening. And saying to them "That's not funny" is pointless. If they are laughing at it, it obviously is funny to them.
Instead, we need to pay attention to patterns and alternatives. When laughing at situations in which others might be hurt is the only response children see, we are setting up a destructive pattern of behavior. We can expose children to alternative responses both with media examples and through their play. For example, if a child is pretending to be Road Runner and the Coyote gets squished by a rock, instead of just leaving him there, we can pretend to be an ambulance driver who comes to help and invite children to direct our actions.

Children are also sometimes attracted to violence because it is a way of expressing power. Wanting to express power and exercise some genuine control over our lives is a natural desire. As adults, we sometimes forget how few opportunities children have in a typical day to do that. In general, adults make the rules, establish the timetables, etc. So one thing we can do is to make sure that children have opportunities to express power that don't rely on aggression. Something as simple as being allowed to choose what to wear, eat, read, or play (all within limits) can help meet this need.

Children who are old enough to choose their own media are also old enough to understand cause and effect and desensitization. We should encourage them to think about the consequences of what they see, even if those consequences aren't portrayed on screen. And if they respond by saying, "I know it's not real", we need to remind them that desensitization is beyond their control and happens to us even when the violence we see isn't real. Ultimately, kids have to be able to make good decisions on their own. We can't be with them all the time. So, if we've had these conversations with them and they still choose violent media, so be it. However, it is then up to us to monitor behavior. If what kids are watching begins to influence their behavior, then it is our responsibility to intervene.

Finally, kids are sometimes attracted to violence because we set up viewing violence as an expression of maturity or because it is a way to spend time with parents. For example (albeit an exaggerated stereotype just for the purpose of explanation), if the only time a child gets to spend with dad is when they watch wrestling or football, then the child will come to highly value that media. And because they are watching it in a context of approval and positive feedback, they are likely to be very influenced by its messages.

Or if we control exposure to violence by saying "you're not old enough to see that film" we set up a situation in which children will want to see the film not for its violent content, but just to prove that they can handle it. We need to provide children with positive ways to demonstrate maturity.

<Return to top>

Where are some places parents can go to get more information on media literacy?

My favorite single book on the topic is Lauryn Axelrod's TV-Proof Your Kids (Citadel Press). If you are interested in media literacy education, then by all means check out my organization, the Alliance for a Media Literate America (www.AMLAinfo.org).

For ratings of videos, there's the Kids First project of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media (www.cqcm.org).

For general information, training, and activity ideas, get in touch with the education department at your local PBS station. Stations involved with PBS' Ready to Learn Initiative have lots of resources available. There's also some good stuff online at www.pbskids.org. In addition to information on how to get the most from particular programs, checking out the "Backstage at PBS" button in the "Did You Know" section for online activities that children can do.

For research updates, check the National Institute on Media and the Family: www.mediafamily.org.

Is there software to screen out bad language?

If you mean from video or TV, no. There are a variety of filtering programs available for websites, but they have significant limits. For example, if you tell it to block sites using the word "damn", it will not only block sites that may be vulgar, it will also block theater sites that include the show "Damn Yankees" not to mention a variety of literary sites as well religion and philosophy sites exploring eternal damnation. In addition, even with filtering software, any moderately skilled computer user can get to a blocked site by going through the "backdoor" of an approved site. This is one more instance where sharing skills and setting limits is a more effective way to deal with the issue than trying to prevent exposure.

Is there software that rates videos for violence?
Not that I'm aware of.

What is known about the time teens are spending using instant messaging with friends replacing face-to-face exchanges and phone time? It seems the level of discourse is at a much lower level of civility. This is too new to have any definitive research yet, but it is clear that some teens are replacing phone time with instant messaging. However, I know of no studies indicating that the level of civility is different on the computer than on the phone. In other words, kids who are civil elsewhere, are also likely to be civil on the computer, and those who trash talk on the computer probably trash talk on the phone, too. I've not seen any evidence indicating that kids are replacing face time with computer time. There are lots of other factors that have decreased face-to-face interaction with friends, not the least of which is the growth of suburbs, especially suburbs with limited or no public transportation, making it necessary to have private cars to get together with others.
<Return to top>