kids and media

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Kids and media 1

Kids and the media is one of the most important topics discussed because of its effect on our kids. Even if your kids are still very young they get a big daily dose of mobile, video games, televisions and music lyrics. While such media can provide entertainment and education, at the same time they can also negatively affect children. Some researches reveal that exposure to violent media can lead to aggressive attitudes and violent manners in some kids.

Introduction:

Media (including mobile devices, T.V, music, laptops or computer, and videogames) has a very strong effect on kid development. This effect can be positive or negative. 

In the past, T.V was the primary source of media for kids. And it was found that there are 2 main factors affect them:

  • How much time do they spend watching the media? Because watching too much media reflects poor sleep, behavior problems, and poor school grades. So limiting screen time to < 2 hours daily will help.
  • What do they watch? what kind of media they watch or deal with. Aggressive shows and video games can desensitize children and show bad behaviors. 

Follow these steps to deal with media in your kid’s life:

  1. Set boundaries and encourage playtime
  • Technology use, like any other activities, should have reasonable boundaries. Informal and offline games stimulate creativity and improve brain skills. Make offline playtime a daily habit, especially for very young kids. And miss to join your kids in this time to make them feel love from you.
  1. Family members who juggle together, learn together
  • Family participation is also important when it comes to media activities; because it encourages social interactions, relationships, and learning. Play online games with your kids to pay more attention to anything that may affect them and to learn the right perspective that should be seen to avoid those negative effects.
  1. Create zones free from technology
  • Keep a time for mealtimes and any other family and social gatherings. Make any media source away from your kid’s sight especially during those gatherings to avoid temptation of those devices and to get used to spending much time without it.
  1. Don’t use technology as an emotional lollipop
  • Media can make your kids calm and quiet, but if they get used to being calm when having a dose of media this will have a negative effect. So, kids need to learn how to identify,handle strong emotions and talk to them when they’re making any kind of noise and use different ways to make them calm.
  1. Monitor your children’s media
  •  For example, pay attention to what apps are used or downloaded by your kids. Try those apps before your kid experiences them, play together, and ask for their opinion about the app.

Conclusion:

We need to find ways to improve the role of the media in our society, benefiting from the advantages and minimizing their negative ones. By setting healthy boundaries on screen time and deciding what your child is watching and playing, you can encourage make the most of your kid’s media use.