Study Reveals Potential for 'Media Overdose' in Kids' Bedrooms
by Mary Rettig
March 17, 2005
(AgapePress) - A policy analyst for the Family Research Council says the sheer quantity of time that electronic devices take up in a child's life means parents have more things to monitor.A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that children are using some sort of "media" device -- whether it be television, radio, or computer -- for about six-and-a-half hours a day, or the equivalent of a full-time work week plus overtime. Children's bedrooms, according to the study, have increasingly become "multi-media centers" that raise the serious issue of parental supervision and unlimited exposure to media content.
FRC's Bridget Maher says the study indicates that 68 percent of 8- to 18-year-olds have a TV in their bedrooms. Over half have a VCR or DVD player, almost half have a video game player, and about a third have a computer there as well. The potential for media overdose, Maher acknowledges, brings its own problems.
"When children have televisions and computers and video games in their bedrooms, it's very hard for parents to monitor the amount of media exposure their kids are getting, the type of shows they're watching, and the type of games they're playing," she notes.
Maher says the study shows many parents are not even setting any guidelines for media use -- or if they do, the guidelines often are not enforced. Only 20 percent of the children surveyed say the rules are enforced "most" of the time.
"Parents should set clear rules about what shows their kids are allowed to watch and how much time they can spend playing games on the computer and watching TV," the FRC spokeswoman advises. "Parents should definitely monitor their children's media consumption."
Setting clear guidelines -- and enforcing them, Maher says -- will shield children from the violence and sexuality that is so pervasive in these media formats.
The Kaiser study, conducted between October 2003 and March 2004, surveyed 2,032 youth nationwide aged 8 through 18 who were in third through twelfth grade. Each respondent completed a detailed self-administered questionnaire in school about their media use the prior day, and their media habits overall.
Mary Rettig, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
