A CAMPAIGN FOR ERADICATING VIOLENCE IN TV PROGRAMS MEANT FOR GENERAL PATRONAGE

LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM TV VIOLENCE - JOIN ME BY ADDING YOUR NAME BELOW. THANK YOU.

2009-12-30T15:04:00.000-08:00

Do sign in again. I inadvertently deleted the earlier links. Thanks a lot!

What they See, is What They Imitate

2009-11-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

Photo by Red Castro

Never do anything in front of your child that you don't want him/her to imitate. Be the good model for your kids of being a non-violent person.

Even your language should not be violent. Avoid using sentences like, "I'll kill you, " etc. even if it's in jest.

The Effect of Violence on Children.

2009-10-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

By: Justin Swapp

If you want to prove something, you have to use the

scientific method, right? Observe something that you want

to measure, and then measure it.

Photo by: Keith Bacongco

There are many people who would water down the effect that violence in the media has

on our children.

If there is any doubt in your mind, just spend a little time applying the scientific method – observe them.

As we start this discussion, it's helpful to understand a little about child psychology.

During their earlier years, children are trying to understand their role in life by framing

it within what they observe in everyday life.

It stands to reason that if you feed your child a steady diet of bacon for every meal,

it's only a matter of time before the kid looks like a pig.

You are what you eat, as the saying goes.

If children have a steady diet of violence, it's only natural for them to experiment with

it as it relates to what they do every day.

If you think there is anything less than a buffet of violence out there for your children

to stuff their faces with, you are kidding yourself.

Here are some examples:

Internet, DVD, Blu-Ray, Wii, Playstation, Xbox, Gameboy, MMORPG, World of

Warcraft, Comics, iPods, Music, Online Chat, Magazines, Movies, School, Cell Phones,

and TV – Now in higher-than-ever definition.

That's right, all the violent detail you could ever want, accessible from anytime, or

anywhere.

Most recently my youngest son, Alexander, got a hold of the remote control and found

his way to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television show.

If you are not familiar with the Power Rangers, It's one of those

kids with martial-art-super-powers-and-costumes shows.

Alexander is two. At that young age, children copy what they see, and they test

boundaries. If you are a parent, you know this.

What do you think Alexander did? He got something he could use as a cape, and

hopped through the house, pausing occasionally to pose in a martial arts stance.

Then, he would find his nearest sibling, and practice a punch or a kick he had seen

on the TV show, complete with sound bites from the program.

He was acting out what he saw glorified on TV. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

seem to have the same effect on him.

TV and movies are arguably the most powerful mediums for communication that we

have today. The technology behind them now is extremely advanced, and made to

impact our senses to extreme degrees.

Trends in content seem to be advancing almost as fast as the technology displaying it.

It's more acceptable now than ever to show extreme content at all hours of the day.

Hack and slash movies are making a comeback.

Just look at movies like Saw or Hostle. These shows are out of control and

are the perfect example of gratuitous film making that marks our day and age.

It's well known at this point that violent situations cause a chemical reaction in humans.

This reaction is called fight or flight. We must act now.

We are surrounded by violence in every form of media. It's up to us now to either

fight, or run. As adults we have to protect our children.

We must fight this, not run. You have to fight this in your homes, but you have to also

find other avenues to fight the trend of violence.

Look to join forces with anyone fighting violence. Choose fight, not flight. Don't run

out on your children.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JUSTIN SWAPP is from Ogden USA. He maintains a Writing and Literature blog - Finish Writing and a business blog - Swappratices.

In his blog, he provides invaluable articles about techniques and styles in writing and encourages aspiring writers to give out their best.

This is what he has to say for himself.

And I quote:

"I am a 32 year old with a BS in Business Marketing, and an MBA. Don’t let that fool you, however. I have always loved writing, and storytelling. I feel that reading and writing is extremely important, and I want to share what I can with those who find what I have to say useful. Write on, regardless of what they say. Write on."

End of quote.

Such inspiring words from a knowledgeable blogger. Thanks, Justin for accepting my invitation.

Things I've Learned From Watching TV

2009-09-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

I don't write commentaries, reviews or factual thoughts. I am more into creative writing. I am not a psychologist either, so I don't claim expertise in this field. I wrote this piece because I have observed and learned that TV has a very significant effect on children's behavior. I speak most specifically of violence on TV, which is slowly but surely destroying the basic non-violent mind-set of our children.

There are several factors affecting how the young are developed and molded into adults. These are the environment in which they grew in, the people around them, their genetic make-up, and their experiences and interactions with society.

A child who grew amidst love would think that the world "out there" is a "loving" world. On the other hand, the child who grew up amidst violence will assume that it is normal for people to hurt each other. Children will learn as they grow up that there is always the good and the bad and that these two exist in the real world. The belief they acquired; however, during their vulnerable childhood days would be more predominant in developing their personality.

Exposure to violence as a kid will have its lasting effects. These maybe deep seated or just "floating" on the surface of the child's subconscious. This will depend upon the intensity of his experiences. One thing is certain though - whatever memory he would have acquired, would be indelible.

Some TV programs have made violence as a selling point of their drama series/soap operas. There is no problem with adults watching these programs because they are able to identify the real from the fantasy world, but children do not have adult discernment to be able to do so.

People would say, "So don't allow the child to watch!" This is not possible though because families belonging to the lower economic stratum who have only one room - living room cum bedroom - are not allowed this luxury. And these families are growing in numbers!

This is most especially observed in third world countries where TV is the most convenient and cheapest method of entertainment. All these poor families could afford is a TV so while the mother puts the child to sleep, she watches; and the child's eyes are also glued to the TV, while trying to get some sleep.

Every single day, I watched the characters in these soaps in various violent scenes; they maybe in a gunfight, pulling each other's hairs, slapping each other or shouting at each other. These scenes say to the children that problems and conflicts could not be settled amicably and peacefully; that we have to be violent to settle disputes. Even family members plot and kill each other in some "soaps".

Are these the values we would like our children to learn? Several researches have proven that indeed violence on TV negatively influences children. As one researcher observed that most people believe this is so, but as expected, people in the TV industry do not believe in the results of these scientifically conducted studies.

I know it would be hard work for the TV people to create a high rating soap opera that does not involve violence, but that is the challenge I confront them with.

A talented and creative writer/producer would be able to write/produce TV soaps which would concentrate on non violent approaches, which would focus more on the positive aspects of the human character.

Top EC Droppers for August

2009-09-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Dropper	# of drops
Something to talk about…	15
Living My Dream	14
Racheng's Blog	13
Simply Trini Cooking	12
Wolflinx Jewelry and More	11
My Thoughts and Ideas	11
Frances Writes	11
Research	10
TCOJC	9
Beyond Feron	7

EXCERPTS ON VIOLENCE ON TV FROM AROUND THE WORLD

2009-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

From : TV and Film Violence
"Researchers followed 329 subjects over 15 years. They found that those who as children were exposed to violent TV shows were much more likely to later be convicted of crime. Researchers said that, "Media violence can affect any child from any family," regardless of social class or parenting."

From: Violence and TV Ratings

"It's well known that TV violence holds an attraction for most viewers and this attraction translates into ratings and profits. Because of this most media executives have been reluctant to admit that media violence is in any way responsible for violence in our society.

If it weren't for the ratings and profits involved, producers would undoubtedly be much more willing to acknowledge the harm in TV and film violence and do something about it.

Instead, we have such things as the American Medical Association finding that shows that in homes with premium cable channels, or a VCR or DVD..."

Many TV and film producers have elected to "take a higher road" and not rely on gratuitous violence to capture and hold an audience. This route typically results in more accolades for their work and more personal respect from the creative community.

But the higher road is often the more difficult one. It takes talent to engage an audience through the strength of your storytelling and production expertise."

END OF ARTICLES

Violence on Television: Can it be stopped?

2009-07-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

By: Nicholas Chase

Let me begin by stating that I have worked in the broadcast television industry for over thirty years, in a variety of roles including studio cameraman, producer / director of music videos, broadcast senior systems design and integration engineer, and senior broadcast television project(s) manager.

In my ten-year role as a senior post-production maintenance engineer, it was partially my job to screen hundreds of television programs and motion picture films to test and assess quality of the technical aspects of the program, video audio and FCC-mandated transmission standards adherence.

Photo by Aaron Escobar

I was unfortunately subjected to many dark, evil and basically sick horror films, or so called situation comedies with poor moral values displayed. Now that I am a parent, with two children,I have always been hypersensitive to the movies and TV programs our children watch.
An unfortunate effect of all of this negative programming being produced in the first place is marketing.

The innate curiosity and viewing appetite of the general public is for mystery, murder, sex, violence, and depravity to be somehow only satisfied through the watching of this material.

The program producers feel that they are merely satisfying a need for these programs, as the so called ‘wholesome family entertainment’ programs have their place, but cannot be the only source of revenue for the production industry.

I have had extensive conversations with some of the top production and movie studio executives and production staff over my extensive career, and the general consensus is that this programming will continue as long as advertisers and the general public are engaged in making these productions successful.

Photo by woodleywonderworks

For me, the question of entertainment in general requires that I be either edified, and educated by the material, by example The Discovery Channel, PBS and others, maybe laugh or cry during a particular wholesome program, but never want to be a captive-witness to suffering or harm to another human, animal or life-form.

I certainly do not want to be forced to ask for my money back, after discovering the promotional materials left out the part about the violence, sexual-content or foul language that is so pervasive in the film and television marketplace. If more moviegoers would perform this simple act of outrage, perhaps the producers of this material would change their focus to the style of movies in the 50’s, where you never actually saw anyone harmed.

My wife and I seldom go to the movies anymore, and not just because of the high ticket prices. High ticket prices are the result, of special-effects-laden productions, where character development is pushed-aside, and the special-effects have become the ‘Stars’ of the film.

There are really only a few movies produced in the last twenty years that I can recall for exhibiting what I would call strong family values. The alternative-lifestyles portrayed in these modern productions have only served to diminish the traditional and biblical precepts for marriage between a man and a woman.

Children growing up today are ridiculed by their peers in school when they have to introduce their two ‘DADS’, or two ‘MOMS’ to their classmates at school events. I have witnessed this first-hand at school functions, and while I cannot rightly and in good conscience sit in judgment for the choices made by these ‘parents’, as an observer of human behavior, their children appear confused and believe that they are ‘different’ through no fault of their own.

A general ‘watering-down’ of moral, social, and kind behavior has been building for many years in my observation. Numerous alternative lifestyles and celebration of offensive actions are portrayed in music, television programs, motion picture films, and much of the literature on the best seller lists of Publishers. An unfortunate aspect of this ‘feeding-tube’ of sub-standard content is acceptance by the viewer that this is normal and acceptable.

My mother is 87 years old, and her generation demonstrated a deep concern for one’s ‘reputation’ in the world, values that have certainly disappeared from our current generation. Respect for authority, kindness, being humble, dressing in a manner that states, ‘I’m proud of my accomplishments in life’, are totally in absent these days. The language I hear being used in public places is so offensive, that I can hardly contain my anger.

The self-respect exhibited by my parent’s generation is gone. The manners, morals and lifestyle of this current generation are bordering on causing a collapse of society not witnessed since the ‘Fall of Rome’. Roman society became depraved, gluttonous, and perverse, forgetting their own history in conquering whole nations of people.

For a man living in 2008, who is currently in his ‘middle-age’, this is so very frustrating. While I remember living in the 1960’s, ‘when do not trust anyone over thirty’ was the battle cry, I observed even then, a gradual shifting of moral and ethical values starting to slip away.

Governmental and parental authority was being questioned, primarily due to a horrendous, ‘undeclared’ war in Vietnam, but also the infiltration and adoption of certain eastern philosophies and precepts as exhibited and promoted by popular musicians of that time.

Photo by daveynin

These new moral codes were embraced by a generation hungry to take charge of their own lives, and even the very country they lived in was affected by these choices. The display of public nudity on billboards, magazine covers, and easy access to pornography and criminal attacks against our children by predators, as well as ‘quickie’ marriages and divorces and the taking of numerous, recreational-drugs whose long-term, mental and physical health effects, were not considered at the time.

Now a generation of damaged people, who were the innocent victims of a society whose moral turpitude caused their exposure to cruel and inhuman, murders, crimes and other accepted violent solutions to their perceived problems.

As a result of the general meltdown of societal values and mutual respect required for a healthy functioning society, criminal behavior has caused our prisons to be filled to over-capacity with individuals who chose to take a path of destruction, having no doubt learned these actions from their peers.

In my opinion, the general decay of respect, kindness, and wholesome lifestyle choices has caused all of the current suffering our world is experiencing. The realization that things may never be as they were before should be a wake-up call to all. We may never again have the true ability to celebrate our freedom as our forefathers intended, "One Nation Under God, With
Liberty and Justice For All".

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

NICHOLAS CHASE is a new but dedicated blogger from the San Francisco Bay Area.

He has four active blogs with significant topics namely :
The Debt Blog, The Diet and Weight Loss Blog, The Guitar Blog,
and The Way To Success Blog.

This is what he says : "My purpose in creating these blogs is to populate them with rich content, and begin adding advertisements gradually."
And he does write well about his daily progress in his blogs - which is quite interesting to me.

Visit his site and take part in his blogging experiences and challenges.

Good luck to you Nicholas and I'm certain you will succeed in your goals.

Interesting Results of Studies from Abelardo

2009-06-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

This article is from: www.abelard.org.

START OF ARTICLE

1 Gerbner

Studies by George Gerbner, at the University of Pennsylvania, have shown that children's television shows contain about 20 violent acts each hour. They also showed that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place.

Children often behave differently after they've been watching violent programmes on television. In one study done at Pennsylvania State University, about 100 pre-school children were observed both before and after watching television. Some watched cartoons that had many aggressive and violent acts; others watched shows that didn't have any kind of violence. The researchers noticed real differences between the children who watched the violent shows and those who watched non-violent ones.

Children who watched the violent shows were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and were less willing to wait for things than those children who watched non-violent programmes.

END OF ARTICLE

A NOTEWORTHY REMINDER FOR TV DIRECTORS AND FILM PRODUCERS

2009-05-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

FROM : http://www.cybercollege.com/violence.htm

"Many TV and film producers have elected to "take a higher road" and not rely on gratuitous violence to capture and hold an audience.

This route typically results in more accolades for their work and more personal respect from the creative community.

But the higher road is often the more difficult one. It takes talent to engage an audience through the strength of your storytelling and production expertise."

Thanks Jean of Jean's Musings for this Noblesse Award!

2009-05-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

As a rule, I had stopped accepting awards, but I couldn't refuse this award - Noblesse Oblige - from JEAN of JEAN'S MUSINGS. (I apologize to Jean for the late posting as some family concerns had kept me out of blogging. But better late than never - as the cliche' goes.)

Jean Knill is one very competent and versatile writer for Helium, Constant Content and many more. She is someone I admire so much, for the way she promotes friendship in the blogosphere. She's one blogger you could count on and one very helpful hand when you're in need of help. She reaches out to other bloggers regardless of race or creed. Furthermore, she exemplifies the following endearing characteristics ( as contained in the award), inspiring and encouraging other bloggers all over the world.

Below is the criteria of the award which I have copied verbatim from Jean:

- Start of excerpt

The recipient of this award is recognized for the following:

1) The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervade among different cultures and beliefs.
2) The Blog contents inspire, strive to encourage and offer solutions.
3) There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4) The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5) The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:

1) Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2) The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3) Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older posts to support this.
4) The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5) Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

- End of excerpt.

What has this blog achieved?

This blog was solely created to campaign against violence in children's TV shows. I wanted to let people become aware of the negative effects violence has on children. This campaign though, has been and still is being ignored by TV producers, directors and writers. "They patronize it, so let's give what they want," seems to be their dogma. It is like giving a child a knife - even when we know it's dangerous - because he likes to play with it. I'm quite aghast with the indifferent attitude of these TV people. What I can perceive is that AS LONG AS THEY EARN, THEN THERE IS NO NEED TO APPEASE THEIR CONSCIENCE.

If through my blog, one or two people become aware of this blog's campaign then I would be happy. Thanks Jean for this awesome award. I hope that I would continue to fulfill the purpose of the award .

I am passing on this award to one phenomenal blog which I had witnessed to sizzle through the blogosphere - like a shooting star: ZORLONE - authored by DOC ZORLONE. Doc Z, as most bloggers call him - is an internist in the field of internal medicine. What's amazing is that he is a brilliant poet and a superb writer too.

He writes for Helium, Triond and Associated Content. At Helium , he has earned several stars.

In the span of barely 4 months, he had managed to obtain PR2 and had gained more than 30 followers. His posts are well commented on and his readers come from different parts of the globe. It is with pride that I honor him with this award!

I also award ROY of THE STRUGGLING BLOGGER , for being an indomitable, true blogger. Roy has 13 blogs and he says there are still some that is not listed in his side bar. The following are his blogs:
Roy, through his many blogs, has promoted friendship across all barriers.

He is one "struggling blogger" who serves as inspiration to bloggers for his audacity ( writing about sensitive topics), creativity ( he's a "flawless"poet and story teller too!) . He also is an enterprising businessman (read his Money on Line blog) , a down to earth writer and many more.

His dynamic persona is reflected through his variety of blogs. If anyone deserves this award - it is Roy.

Thanks to these two bloggers who made the blogosphere a better world to live in.

A COMPLETE, SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE FROM THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

2009-04-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

START OF ARTICLE

"Preventing Violence by Teaching Non-Violent Problem-Solving

Decades of social science research has shown that since violence is mostly a learned behavior, non-violence can also be learned.

Findings

Psychologist Albert Bandura's early research revealed that children's aggressive acts were partly influenced by what they observed (Bandura, 1965). In general, the more aggressive the people or films that children observe, the more aggressive the children act. Learning by watching and imitating others, rather than through one's own personal experiences, is called social learning. Later research has shown that viewing violent acts on TV and in the movies affects people in other negative ways: (1) It decreases viewers' concerns about victims' suffering, (2) it decreases viewers' sensitivity to violent acts, and (3) it increases the likelihood that viewers will emulate the aggressive acts depicted in the show or movie. Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects observed violence.

Psychologists have recently applied these findings towards teaching non-violence to young children and their caregivers. Their research reveals that since violence is learned, nonviolent ways of interacting with the world can also be learned.

Significance

Children are bombarded with violent messages and media. In 1998, the National Television Violence Study reported that 60% of television shows include violent acts. Since people--especially children—learn much of what they know through observing others, such high levels of exposure to violence are cause for alarm. Techniques for teaching children positive, nonviolent ways of dealing with everyday problems are therefore in critical demand.

Practical Application

Adults and Children Together Against Violence (ACT Against Violence) is a nationwide violence-prevention project that applies social learning theory and insights from developmental psychology. Unlike many violence prevention programs, ACT Against Violence targets very young children (ages 0 to 8) by addressing their caregivers and teachers. ACT includes a national multimedia campaign and a community-based training program. The multimedia campaign spreads the message that adults' words and deeds—especially aggressive and angry words and deeds—strongly influence children's words and deeds. The community-based training program teaches professionals who work with teachers and caregivers how to implement violence prevention skills for themselves and for their children. These skills include anger management, effective discipline, conflict resolution, and wise media consumption. Both parts of the project teach adults how to be positive, nonviolent role models for the children in their lives.

ACT Against Violence has been extremely successful in reaching adults. The first ACT television and radio ads were released in early April 2001, and in less than a year, had reached millions of Americans. The toll-free telephone service receives more than 100 calls per week, and approximately 20,000 copies of the booklet "Violence Prevention for Families of Young Children" have been distributed.

Cited Research and Resources

Bandura, A. (1965). Influence of models' reinforcement contingencies on the acquisition of imitative responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 1, pp. 589-595.

www.ActAgainstViolence.org

American Psychological Association, May 28, 2003

END OF ARTICLE

from :http://www.psychologymatters.org/bandura2.html

Significant Topics to Read About the Negative Effects of TV Violence on Children

2009-04-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Kindly read these topics and know about how TV violence can negatively affect your children:

1. The Effects of Media Violence on Children By: Dr.Jane E. Ledingham et al

2. The Negative Effects of Television

3. Research Paper - Negative Effects on Children By Watching TV

Thank You to my Top EC Droppers for March

2009-04-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all my droppers for March, especially to the following who have been religiously dropping on this blog. Cheers and more power to all of you!

Work At Home	25
I Learn Online Marketing	24
Tips and News on Healthy Lifestyle	23
The Esoterical Journey	21
Teacher Techie Says	20
Blogging resource and make money online	15
Jean's Musings	11
DJ Tammy Squels	8
GET CHARTER	8
Look around	6

They Refuse to Listen - They Just Want to Earn!

2009-03-22T04:12:00.000-07:00

These TV stations keep on with their violent themes. Their reason? "because the public wants them." What type of logic is that? Well many of these viewers are unaware of the bad repercussions these shows have on their children, because they never get to read articles about these bad effects.

It's just like saying, "I give her candy before she goes to bed because she asks for it." -even when we know that this would lead to dental carries in the child. The child is unaware of the eventual result that is why she asks for it, but as someone who knows more than her, why don't you refuse the request? This is a trivial example. I can go on and on and cite more serious cases, but I know you got my point. No one is a dumbo here, right?

But- no- they don't bother to look into the "whys". They just want to earn money. To hell with the future of the nation and of the world! They continue with there violent programs and find no other non violent means to earn money. May God have mercy on their souls!

Ian Peatey's Comment on Campaign Against Violence on Children's TV Programs: 3rd Prize

2009-02-12T00:28:00.000-08:00

By: IAN PEATEY OF QUANTUM LEARNING

Dear Jena.

I support any movement aimed at promoting alternatives to violence. We seem to have a built a world where violence is accepted, even encouraged as a way of solving our conflicts. And this is reinforced by our apparent addiction to violence as a form of entertainment for all.

Children are incredible 'learning machines' - I'm amazed by how fast my 5 year old picks things up. She's HUNGRY for things to learn. And so she's particularly susceptible to all the messages she receives. I try to shield her from the violent messages contained in the mass media (not only TV) - but it's impossible to keep her from everything I would wish to. It shouldn't be so hard to protect her!

I believe the best way to change is to offer non-violent alternatives. We need to persuade the programme makers and TV and media (and schools and parents .. the list is endless!) that there are equally entertaining and enjoyable ways of spending time that do not involve violence.

Simply trying to eradicate violence won't work .. we need to be clear what we want in its place.

Good luck and I wish this every success .. for the sake of all our children. Ian

Ray Gratzner's Comment on the Campaign for Non Violence in Children's TV Programs - SECOND PRIZE

2009-01-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

By Ray Gratzner of Esoterical Journey

Dear jena, I don't want any ec-credits,my opinion is for free...;-)

Children learn from adults but nowadays children are left alone with tv. For some parents that is convenient because they get some children-free time.

So images of violence enter young minds and are stored deep down in the subconscious mind...

If our reality is a product of our thoughts, the reality of children will change, due to the impact of violent images, will be directed in a more violent direction. Is this a value for society?

There is so much entertainment, which has no need of violence. The tv series Friends for example, entertains without violence.

Why not produce entertainment, that is full of suspense, but void of violence?

In the USA until the end of highschool an average pupil has seen 32 000 murders, 40 000 attempted murders, 200 000 violent crimes. In 73% the offender will not be prosecuted and there are no alternatives shown up how the conflict could have been solved without violence.

What rules could a person derive from such a tv propaganda?

No violence on TV!

Happy Blogging.

Photo by Aaron Escobar

Jean Knill's Comment on the Campaign for Non Violence in Children's TV Programs - FIRST PRIZE

2009-01-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

By: JEAN KNILL

Hi Jena. I was thinking of writing a full article about this for you, but I can probably distill my opinion in a comment.

Twenty-odd years ago, I did a degree in Media Studies. The debate about whether and how children were affected by TV violence was in full swing then. But academics could not get evidence to come down hard on one side or the other. I found it incredible that anyone could believe it wouldn't affect children, but they all had to do their research and find the evidence. For me, it was just common sense.

Since then, in the UK, violence and gang culture among teenagers and young people has escalated to the point where many are carrying knives and guns. The amount of violence we see on TV and in other media has also developed so much that we tend to expect it.

So where did our youngsters' ideas come from? It seems blindingly obvious to me.

Even seeing their exploits on TV or in the newspapers often doesn't evoke shame, but rather pride among their peer group. The minority of young people this applies to seems to be growing and spreading, and the media clearly plays a large role in this.

Sadly, our values are changing. Without much thought, our society seems to have accepted, even embraced, the idea that violence is ok in what we read, see and hear in the media.

Voices raised against haven't made much headway, but that doesn't mean they should give up. I'm not suggesting that we should completely eradicate violence from the media, but that we should not sensationalise it, and we should compensate with more positive images. We need to strike the right balance to teach our children that two wrongs don't make a right.

At the moment, even parents who carefully monitor what their children are exposed to at home can't protect them from violent make-believe games that are thought up in the school playground by other children. Once she went to school, I soon found my little granddaughter playing games in which she 'killed' all her soft toys .

Photo by abudardak

Winners of the Contest on Comments for the Campaign

2009-01-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

I would like to apologize for the late posting of the winners. Work has been extra -toxic, but now here they are:

First prize – Jean Knill a.k.a. Jakill of Jean’s Musings
3,000 EC credits and one month ad in this blog

1st Runner up: Ray Gratzner of The Esoterical Journey
2,000 EC credits and one month ad in this blog (already existing, lol)

2nd Runner up: Ian Peatey of Quantum Learning
1,000 EC credits and one month ad in this blog

For all participants 300 EC credits.

I’ll be posting each comment from the first prize to the third.

Thanks guys for participating. Happy blogging!

Call for Holiday Season's Comment Contributions

2008-12-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

I know this is late, but better late than never.

I am opening this post for comments regarding the

"CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN'S TV PROGRAMS".

Your article MAY OR MAY NOT SUPPORT the campaign.

Just cite your reasons why you don't support it, or why you support it. It will be a kind of debate.

No one goes home empty handed.

For EACH contribution, I will be giving out 300 EC credits.

Three great commenters will be selected to win the following:

Best comment ( validity, clarity, content, ): 3,000 EC credits with 1 month free widget ad on this site.

1st runner-up: 2,000 EC with 1 month free widget ad on this site.

2nd runner-up: 1,000 EC with 1 month free widget ad on this site.

Comments should not be less than 50 words. This will be opened up to January 15,2009.

Join now and be aware of what is going on around you!

Special Needs Publications has so generously provided us with a link to his article "Children and Television", click the link to read it. (Sorry for the earlier error, thanks Ian for the correction).

What I Have Learned From Watching TV

2008-12-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

Photo 1 by jerine

Photo 2 by giovanni_giusti

Photo 3 by Maxxer_

A Noble Endeavour by The Struggling Blogger

2008-11-08T05:51:00.000-08:00

Roy Dela Cruz of The Struggling Blogger has undertaken a courageous and noble endeavor - that of helping out two indigent persons who are in need. The best that we can do is the spread the word; You can read his post HERE.

"Whatsoever you do, to the least of your brother, that you do unto me."

Whatever good you can do, do it now!"

Violence on TV and our Children

2008-10-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

By Purpled Sky

Even before I had a daughter of my own, I have always been strong on my belief that children shouldn't be watching TV unless those that are designed for them.

And even so, TV watching should be properly monitored, after all, toddlers are more attentive to commercials primarily because of their catchy jingles. And hey, don't tell me I am the only one who hates commercials.

Read more of this...

About the Author:

Visit Purpled Sky's blog and read about interesting topics -one of them talks about TV violence - and many more.

Purpled Sky also says: "The best afternoon for me is spent snuggling with husband and playing peek-a-boo with baby X."

She is a great writer and I would like to correct an error which I had posted about her being a SAHM. Well, she is even more than that; she is also a working mom.

My hats off to you PS!

Thanks, for supporting this campaign.

Hello Guys, Let's All Welcome My Sister!

2008-10-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

Let’s all welcome my sister to the blogging world!

She has 2 blogs: Candid Mom Reviews and Diary of a Start-Up Mom. My sis Marylyn is the sweetest of the lot; she’s not as “talkative” as I am, but she’s definitely smarter!

But I don’t mind, as it makes me proud to know that she is doing well in whatever goals she sets herself to achieve.

Her Candid Mom Reviews is a blog about almost anything under the sun, from groceries to her kid’s daily adventures.

The other blog is the Diary of a Start-Up Mom which deals with internet resources and opportunities.

Do pay a visit to her blogs.

Read These Interesting Topics from Helium

2008-09-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Community programs that can promote youth development

Youth development should be the primary consideration of any community because the youth are"The Hope of the Fatherland" (Jose Rizal).

It is right and proper therefore, that community programs should promote youth development.

What community programs could do this? The below mentioned are some suggestions of useful and relevant programs.
Read more...

How poverty is a challenge to democracy

Poverty is most often not associated with democracy but with communism. That makes it a challenge for democracy to prove that this is indeed true.

The truth is, poverty exists everywhere, but since democracy stands for the freedom and liberty to create your own destiny, then it is looked upon as the right style of government that would eradicate or lessen poverty.
Read more...

Building a relationship with your child

Parents sometimes fail to recognize that building a good and strong bond with their children does not come in a silver platter. They will have to work hard for it.

My greatest fear when I started rearing my children was the fear that they could not trust me with their growing-up "secrets". I have watched families which were destroyed by the lack of close bonding between parent and child. The child turned to drugs, etc to find that sense of "closeness" and "belongingness" which he/she could not find at home.
Read more...

Reflections: How can child labor be eradicated?

"When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become." A quotation by: Louis Pasteur (Scientist)

Indeed our children are the future of the world. If we take good care of our children then we are ensuring the bright future of the world as well.
Read more...

What does it take to make poverty an important news story?

Poverty is like a bad, scary movie. It is not real, not until it happens to you.

Poverty in third world developing countries is astounding! Street children and homeless people are increasing in number day by day. We catch a glimpse of almost naked children plying the streets for food and for shelter. Sometimes they even resort to drastic means to satiate their hunger pangs. Child prostitution and sex slaves are usually because of poverty. But do we truly care? We read about them, sometimes watch these stories on TV; but does the story make the front pages? Do we do something to help these people?

How many of us would stop by and help a person in dire need?
Read more...

RECENT ARTICLES TO PROVE THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF TV VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN

2008-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

If you're still unconvinced about TV violence causing aggressive behavior in children, do read these different articles from individuals who opted to express the glaring truth about TV violence.
This is from: Violence on TV: The Desensitizing of America
Written By Kevin Szaflik

"Media violence can affect any child from any family," regardless of social class or parenting."
This is from Cyber College. Com
TV and Film Violence

Photo by tempophage

"Violence on television affects children negatively, according to psychological research."
This is from Abelard.Org
Children and Television Violence

"CHILDREN exposed to violence in films, on television, in video games and on the internet are at significant risk of displaying aggressive or fearful behaviour, research suggests."
This is from Times Online
Study Links Violence on TV to Child Aggression
Written By Sam Lister, Health Correspondent