Now, more than ever, our kids need help making wise media decisions. by Pat Jeanne Davis
John was close to tears while pacing the kitchen floor. “It’s rated PG-13, Mom. All my friends are going. Justin’s mother is taking us to the mall. I’ll look like a fool if I say you won’t let me see it.” It was the end of a long school week filled with many tests for my fifteen-year-old son. I felt he deserved a break, too, so I agreed he could go out with his pals. But it didn’t include going to a film that neither my husband nor I approved of him seeing. “Why are you spoiling my fun?” John went to his room and slammed the door. To keep our boys’ minds and hearts pure for as long as possible, my husband and I soon realized that neither the ratings for films and video games nor the evaluations of other parents could be our guide. Even with an MPAA rating of PG-13, or even PG, a film could quickly gravitate into profanity-filled verbal exchanges, violence, and sexual references or scenes that included nudity. I tired of having to fast forward through these offensive scenes. Often I stopped the film and turned off the set. Explicit sex and violence on the Internet and in films, video games, and television, as well as some popular music and certain teen magazines — these powerful forces can corrupt our children. They exploit and give messages with unrealistic expectations. Often sexual encounters are seen as casual events and portrayed without relationship and consequences. What can you as a parent do? Try following these. . . .
Guidelines Exercise responsibility. The apostle Paul exhorts Christians to “bring [your children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Parents are the best interpreters of program content, but too many of them are unclear about what their child should be viewing. Assume responsibility for your children’s viewing habits so you can “Train [them] in the way [they] should go . . .” (Proverbs 22:6). Supervise entertainment. Many children have a TV set in their bedrooms. Most kids say that their parents have no rules about films and television viewing, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2005.1 Set limits and screen television viewing. Ask your children what videos will be shown at the sleepover. Participate in viewing. While viewing a program with your children, you can discuss it and draw lessons from the characters’ experiences. You then can help them form an opinion based on biblical and moral standards. Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 states: These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Become the primary instructor. A study in 2008 conducted by the Rand Corporation revealed the dramatic impact on adolescents of sexual content portrayed in the media. It showed that kids are more sexually active in proportion to viewing these programs.2 Rand concluded, “Our research offers only limited insight into the best method for ameliorating the effects of TV sexual content on youth behavior but clearly indicates the need to do so.”3 As primary instructor, help your children put on the whole armor of God so they can stand against the Devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11-17). Be sure to teach them the biblical view of sex, that God’s instructions are for their protection and that they can always come to you with questions. Become informed about ratings. You can obtain information on a video or movie by visiting www.screenit.com, an entertainment review site for parents. Read comments about the film, a summary of plot content, and the reason for its rating. (See box for other resources.) The criteria for judging a film have changed for the worse. A film rated PG-13 five years ago could carry a PG rating today.4 Either rating can include an adult situation, foul language, violence, and nudity. I have heard that kids at younger ages are moving on to shows created with older kids in mind. Many TV-14 ratings are questionable for this age group. Additionally, studies conducted in 2004 show that sexual content and the level of violence in video games are on the rise. The Kids Risk Project from Harvard School of Public Health reveals that video game content descriptors do not always reflect what is in the game concerning the severity of violence and graphic sexual content.5 As a result, parents can’t make informed decisions. There also exists a gray area between those games rated “Teen” and those rated “Mature.” Check out other resources. You can borrow videos and DVD’s distributed by Family Favorites, Hallmark, and Disney from the public library. If in doubt about any movie borrowed from the adult section, view it beforehand. If not appropriate, you can return it at no cost. Often, reading the book before seeing the film will enhance the viewing experience. Fight the negative effects of excessive viewing. Many kids sit in front of the TV out of sheer boredom. Statistics say that school-age children watch television more than five hours a day. Replace television with productive activities (reading, board games, projects) that can recapture the imagination while improving family time. Also, physical activity that builds bodies and burns calories prevents obesity in your children.6 Set a godly example. Be sure to teach your children not by talking about godly values but by translating them into your life. Don’t send a double message by watching ungodly programming. Such inconsistency says that it’s all right for an adult, but not for them, to view trash. Live by the psalmist’s desire to “walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing” (Psalm 101:2b, 3).
Eternal benefit My son didn’t go to the cinema that Friday night. Instead he called another friend and they went skateboarding. When I picked him up later, John had had so much fun that he’d forgotten about the movie. He even apologized for arguing with me. I learned a valuable lesson through this experience: that children feel safe and secure when a loving parent takes charge. We will never regret our decision to carefully monitor both television and video viewing. And the benefit to our children will be everlasting. Pat Jeanne Davis writes from Philadelphia, PA. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version. References
Resources
The Bible Advocate Press grants the user permission only to download and print this article. If the user wishes to make multiple copies, permission must be granted by the Bible Advocate Press. |
|---|
Past Issues ---- Archives 05-09
|
