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Casper and Monica have been friends since they were in middle school. They met in real life but much of their relationship developed on the phone, texting and IMing. In fact, they say, they would often chat online while having in-person conversations with their parents at the same time. You can guess which conversation they found more engaging.
At one point in time, Casper described the most important thing in his life as his "cave" — the basement he had set up as his media den. And he did not want to be bothered by the outside world. What happened next is, well, sort of a secret. The story unfolds in an original play aimed at middle schoolers by Portland playwright Matt Zrebski in collaboration with the Oregon Children's Theatre. The touring production is free for the middle school kids who attend.
Zrebski's goal is to create characters and situations that inspire post-show conversations among the kids about their online lives and media habits. A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that kids eight to 18 are using various kinds of electronic media an average of 53 hours a week. In other words: screen time might take more hours than a full-time job.
Children's health advocates say that kind of time has all sorts of implications — from obesity to sleep issues to social development, not to mention academic performance.
How much screen time do kids you know get? What drawbacks do you see? What are the benefits? Do you have rules about how much media or screen time your child is allowed?
Photo credit: curiouslee / Creative Commons
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It feels like were all getting too much media, especially social networking I really feel that has gotten out of control, I think SN has been a great development but I really hope that the trend burns out soon. Everyone is spending SO much time “on” and social media IS effecting our real life friendships and relationships in deep and disturbing ways.
My Two cents..
-Joshua Patterson
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What are the deep and disturbing ways you're thinking of?
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When I was living in Japan back in the '90's, news programs and tv dramas were already hinting at problems with kids (and adults) that couldn't communicate with each other well. They figured it was becoming a social problem back then, and it is still considered a problem now, though not much has been done about it so far that I have seen.
A friend, and former Portlander, now living in Sapporo, Japan, once told me that everybody there has a Keitai (cell phone). And for some families, they call to their family members (within their own house/apartment) to tell them dinner is ready or for any thing that needs to get mentioned, when just calling out to them in a loud voice would do just the same. I thought that was a bit funny, but kind of sad, that face to face communication was replaced by talking via cell phone.
Then there were the Otakus (nerds) in Japan that really have a hard time with interpersonal relationships. One story based on how an Otaku managed to get a beautiful girlfriend was portrayed in the TV series version of Densha Otoko (Train Man), done in a humorous fashion. Most of the counseling the protagonist of the true story was done via message boards on the internet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Densha_Otoko
The reason I bring this up is that Densha Otoko epitomizes the somewhat stereotypes of what Otakus are like in Japan, and I'm afraid how the same Otakus are in the US, or even in the Northwest. However, having been to various anime shops and conventions in Japan and groups here in the US, a lot of the stereotypes aren't so far from the truth. But these kids and adults that are so stuck into their media and virtual worlds is the problem that Joshua Patterson is talking about. And they are deeply disturbing when kids that are so media/virtual reality focused grow up to become adults that cannot interact well on a face to face reality.
I'm not saying all otakus and all folks that are highly media/virtual reality focused are completely inept socially, but I believe an increasing number of folks are, as the trend continues. I hate to see the day when people are only able to communicate via telescreen, like the world imagined by the late Asimov for his Robot stories...
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I love all the gadgets and have a few of my own, the ones I can afford, that is. I do think that there should be strong limits on what the kids have access to during certain things - like classroom time except where using a computer, for example.
But may I also offer this. It's my understanding that the state unemployment people are now strongly suggesting (if not "requiring") that you set up social networking for yourself and stay in constant continual contact via texting, etc., so you can somehow via this networking find a job. In theory, I suppose, this is a good idea because networking really is effective in job searching. But to be constantly, continually connected and bombarding others and being bombarded with endless chat, text, more chat, more text, etc. etc. ad nauseum - most of which is purposeless or sales-oriented - no thanks.
I also think that there is too much abuse of reputations that is exponentially multiplied with e-media.
All in all I really would have to vote this way: TMM! Too Much Media!
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Sadly, the nonprofit group that started TV Turn Off Week no longer has funding. We built screenfreeweek.org in order to fill the void with tools for teachers and parents to manage screen time, and to update the concept to reflect the reality of multiple screens in children's lives.
Why did we do this? Our Portland-based company publishes an ad-free, national magazine for preschoolers - printed on paper and sent through the snail mail. From our research, we know that time spent with a screen is time NOT spent using your imagination. This is not just pointless playtime: the ability to create an alternative reality in your mind is uniquely human, and the preschool years are when this skill is acquired.
Why is learning to use your imagination important? Being able to imagine a different reality, combined with causal knowledge (i.e. knowing how to alter situations) are the tools that allow individuals to change their world. Too much screen time is linked to accepting the reality that is presented to you. We should not raise our children to do that.
Thanks for covering this topic.
Judy Johnston - The Tessy & Tab Reading Club for preschoolers
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An excellent point that Judy makes here which is quite factual. I have been intensely interested in how we learn since I was a child, furthermore after hired to teach as an adjunct professor of astronomy at a local university some years ago. As a child in the 1960’s I never liked watching TV. I instead gravitated to a shortwave radio as a 12 year old, bypassing American journalism to discover that a more intelligent BBC programming awaited me; unknown by many of my grade school classmates.
There is an underlying prevalent attitude that any individual who believes that online screens, television, radio, whatever media is being absorbed is good regardless, and that more of it is necessarily better. Americans will always be drugged on the idea that simply more is better.
Many people here in the discussion I am sure have not read Jerry Mander’s highly acclaimed and respected books touted by media experts and psychologists for many years; The Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television c1978 and In Absence of the Sacred- The Failure of technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations c1991. [especially pg 84 par 4 ‘Perceptual Speedup and Confusion’. http://www.ratical.org/ratville/AoS/theSun.html
The reader will be shocked at what they learn from Mander and his contemporaries such as Noam Chomsky’s ‘Manufacturing Consent’. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Mass_Media
Do not take my word as I am only a retired mere observer, an astronomer and acclaimed artist for many years. One other commenter mentions here “I hate to see the day when people are only able to communicate via telescreen, like the world imagined by the late Asimov for his Robot stories”. I’m sorry to say that day has arrived long ago already.
Also reference a short film by the noted producer of Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio- Evidence > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuI_nCADnW0
-Mark Seibold
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From: High school teacher (Media and Society)
Every year I ask my students to complete a "media free" day. Of course, it's not about being completely media free, but avoiding active participation with mass media. We just finished the project this week.
This year, I added another component: leave your cell phone at home. Better yet give your cell phone to a parent for the day. Gasp! For most, it was akin to being asked to remove a limb.
The writing/discussion afterwards was the most revealing. The "silence" that resulted from being unplugged for a day solicited words like awkward, threatening, frightening, creepy, unnatural. They did not like the sound of their own voice in their own head.
I feel it right to also honor the kids for whom an "unplug" day was not difficult. There are a percentage of teens (in my experience) who don't sleep with their cell phone, don't spend hours on social networking sites, and use the tools of their generation with awareness and balance.
There is media addiction in our culture, no doubt. However, let us not have another discussion of media awareness - media literacy - be another Nancy Reagan "just say no" campaign against the media, which seems to only alienate and shame people.
vmhughes. teacher. co-founder MediaThink (www.mediathink.org)
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TV's should come with a warning on the package similar to cigarettes or alcohol "watching more than 1 hour a day will put children at increased risk for violence, substance abuse, obesity, etc." Its true! I am 26 years old and have never owned a TV. Growing up without a TV meant more time reading, talking with family, and being creative. As an adult, I spend way too much time on the internet and have a severe NPR addiction....I am not media free. But, when I do watch TV (at a hotel or friends) I can't believe how shallow so much of it is. I really worry about how women and girls are portrayed on reality shows. So often they are shown in competition with each other and obsessively focused on material gain. Fortunately, these reality shows don't begin to reflect the beauty and complexity of reality.
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My grandsons (7 and 9) just spent last week on our farm during spring break. We cut back on their tv time drastically after watching a few morning shows with them. I had a hard time with the violence, language, and values reflected in most of the shows. Sad, since I believe the original vision for television was education. They're learning things but not the values we want for them. We also took them to the movie Diary of a Whimpy Kid and I wouldn't recommend any child see that movie as everyone is a bully and also didn't reflect any of our family values. I love movies but this trend concerns me. Get out the books and read aloud - lots more fun!
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"Video Killed the Radio Star"
Everything in moderation is our theory. We are a no TV household. We do watch online shows now and then for entertainment. It is entertainment. Just don't go overboard anywhere and you will probably turn out OK.
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All of us are overwhelmed by too much media, not just kids. It feels more natural for kids because they've grown up with so much technology. The best thing older generations can do for the younger generation is to accept the reality of kids growing up today and share the joys of a lower tech life with those same kids to help us all achieve some balance. Quiet moments without technology are golden but take some getting used to in a fast-paced, multimedia world. Adults can lead by example.
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I think a sensible amount of media varies based on the other things happening in a kid's life. When I was in middle and high school, my friends and I played a lot of video and computer games. One guy in particular spent nearly all of his time outside of school playing games online. But, consider the alternative. This fellow had a dad out of the picture and in trouble with the law, and a mom who worked constantly and wasn't around in the evenings. My friend lived in a poor area of Southeast Portland, and other kids on his street were getting into drugs and petty crime while my friend was raising himself on video games.
My point is that too-much-screen exists on a continuum of things kids can spend their time doing. There are far better things, of course. But there are worse ones as well.
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I think that all this communication media/technology is creating more opportunities for kids to say and do things without really having to be accountable for the consequences. It's too easy for them to get away with inappropriate behaviour--and it's even becoming socially acceptable to use technology to hide from the effects of their actions.
As for the other media, gaming, etc... It is creating a more isolated and self-absorbed world-view for these kids. They are less empathetic to others because of being increasingly isolated while being exposed to gratuitous violence etc.
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As one of the co-founders of Media Think (a media literacy center for the education of parents, teachers, educators, students policy makers) this issue is not going to go away, not ever. My whole thought on media literacy changed when I became a step parent of two media savvy teens several years ago. My interventions and education in this area (I'm a trained media literacy specialist) went out the window. Instead of fighting them, I learn from them. Instead of banning it, I redirect them (no "electricity" night, building a tree house, board game night, etc.). We draw the line at inappropriate use of media when we're aware of it but really we can't control it since they go to friends, when we're at work, when we're asleep. While we have the only computer in a common area of the house we will conviscate personal cell phones when over used, bad grades, bad behavior, or missed homework assignments. I cannot imagine what parents or teachers deal with this who are not trained in this area. At Media Think, we advocate media literacy education in gardes K-12 liek they do in new Mexcio, Canada, Australia, and other countries. Until this time, Media Think provides classroom education and trainings, salon classes for parents, opportunities for analyzing and creating "healthy" media and a resource for DVDs, books, cds, and training manuals.www.mediathink.org.
Erik Vidstrand (MediaLitMan), Board Member Media Think
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Seriously? We are having a "these kids these days!" conversation?
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I hope not. I hope it's more of a: "what's it like to be a kid these days" conversation. But is that not what it sounds like?
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I guess I have just heard too many of these stories (and I am only 31). That cyclical drumbeat that the latest generation of kids is being ruined by this, that or the other.
...yet, every generation grows up, is productive, and life carries on.
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A sad fact is that our kids don't know how to play anymore especially children living in low-income households. Many are un able to play outside simply because it is just too dangerous and the alternative seems to be "plugging in". As a result, children are left with out the capability to build important social skills needed to be successful in all areas of life.
Playworks, a national nonprofit new to Portland provides safe, healthy play and physical activity to low-income schools, helping create a positive environment for learning and teaching. Our recipe for rescuing recess (which many schools have eliminated or reduced) and making play a part of every day has transformed more than 170 schools across the country. We put trained adults in school and on the playground full-time to introduce classic games that are disappearing from schoolyards, like kickball and four-square, as well as new games designed to build leadership, foster teamwork and sportsmanship. We also run after school programs, Jr. Coach training and developmental sports leagues that extend our opportunity for kids to gain more physical activity and learn fundamental social skills. When Playworks partners with a school, not only are kids more physically active, they return to class ready to learn and the whole school day goes better. It's amazing how Playworks improves the entire school climate, in almost a blink of an eye by simply by re-introducing kids to something as fundamental as play.
We are cuently operating in 9 PPS schools check out this link to the KATU two part piece "before & after" about our organization (only a few minutes each):
http://playworksusa.org/make-recess-count/play/power-play-portlandPlay on!
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I believe that parents highly underestimate the damage that can be done to the brain development of their children through too much screen time. Like anything in life, moderation is the key. Our family uses screen time sparingly and in that, it is an exciting thing for our young children when they earn screen time.
I also believe parents underestimate how easy it is to avoid screen time. By setting appropriate limits and boundaries and using screen time as something earned or a reward it can actually be a wonderful reward.
Thank you for discussing this issue. I believe the amount of screen time our children are allowed is becoming a public health risk, for the reasons you have addresses and more. If we raise a generation of people that only know how to relate to others through a screen and not in real life I believe we cannot anticipate the negative outcomes that may arise.
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For me, the most concerning issue with screentime is the changing balance between the virtual and natural world in childhood. Today 90% of children's time is spent indoors. Most parents say that screentime is what is keeping their kids inside. We are about to release a Portland-based documentary called PLAY AGAIN where we look at how this imbalance is impacting our children’s well being, our society and sustainability.
Technology is important – and we need it in so many ways, but when our children are playing more behind screens than outside, we need to ask ourselves what we are missing when we are in front of screens. We are now raising a generation that spends the least amount of time outdoors than any generation in history. Is our connection to the natural world important? What are the consequences of a childhood removed from nature?
In making this film it was really important for us to listen to what the kids have to teach us about their virtual realities. We follow six teenagers from Portland who like “the average American child” spend five to fifteen hours a day behind screens. We unplug the teens and take them on their first wilderness adventure – no electricity, no cell phone coverage, no bathrooms.
The film is also based on interviews with over 40 experts including Richard Louv, Juliet Schor, Bill McKibben, Gary Small and David Suzuki.
We have a pre-release screening in Portland on May 15th at the Bagdad Theater at 7pm. One night only. Hope you can make it! www.playagainfilm.com
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My children are 3 and 5 and definitely watch more TV than recommended. I grew up with completely unrestricted access to TV - and I was watching Dallas and Dukes of Hazzard, not the preschooler-friendly fare found on PBS Sprout and NickJr that my children are allowed to watch. I grew up to graduate college, get a masters degree, have a successful career, and many interests outside of television. I was also raised to love reading - my mom read to me daily from birth on and a Saturday at the library was equally as likely as a Saturday spent in front of the TV.
My children watch TV, but we also spend a lot of quality time reading and doing things outdoors, and the TV is off between 9am and 5pm. My 5 year old is very bright, social and interested in many things besides TV. My 3 year old has mastered nearly all the items on the kindergarten readiness list.
TV is just one part of the equation and is not the devil or the cause of children's brains to rot that many people would like you to believe.
Naomi in NE Portland
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My parents kept a tv, but it was a b/w portable with a broken vertical hold (anybody remember what that is?) We had to get it out of the closet where it was kept on a shelf, plug it in and take turns holding the knob so the picture would stay steady. There were no rules regarding television use, but it was MUCH easier and more fun to simply read, which we often did in a tree. Remember climbing trees? Or we would bake cookies, ride bikes, play hide and seek, play doll school, restaurant or library, make obstacle courses, sew, jump rope, draw pictures, train the dog to do tricks...how about making technology available, but not too easy and flashy? Use an uncomfortable location, a slow dial-up, a small screen; make technology shared rather than individual so that people take turns, and enable imaginative, reality-based fun that pleases all the senses.
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I'm 55 and I text, Facebook, Tweet, etc. Texting is sometimes the appropriate method of reaching someone via their cellphone quickly without causing a lot of noise.
But, my kids are on media way too much. Still, it's interesting to see that they may have over a hundred "friends" online, and be "talking" with many of them at one time. Talk about mutl-tasking! But is that bad? I've read brain research that found people who multitask online actually develop better connections between their frontal lobe and the cerebral cortex.
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I'm a little confused by this discussion. Books are media. Exposure to music can increase brain function including math abilities. What we should be talking about is increasing first hand experiences: creating art and music and stories, being with other people, playing and exercising.
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I agree. The neighbor kids come to our house to play; they dress up the dog, bake, use musical instruments, get loud and messy, use up endless tape and string, pick flowers, invent costumes and games and have fun! Our son is 13; other kids range from 3 to 18 and somehow everybody plays together. They may or may not be allowed television, but have much more fun with hula hoops, jump ropes and basketballs.
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I suspect that with a topic of "How Much Media is Too Much," what they are really getting at is: "How Much electronic media is too much electronic media."
I, too, think that books are a great way to spend an afternoon (or an evening). One is able to form their own mental images of what the characters look like, what the setting smells like, sounds like, etc.
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"Harder, faster, stronger, texting ladies extra longer" goes the huge hit song by The Black Eyed Peas. The use of social media has become a primary means of courtship, and in this example demonstrating virility.
-Kai, Portland
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... the title of that song is "Boom Boom Pow"...
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I have a son who is almost 2 and we don't let him watch any tv at all. Out of all my mom friends I am the only one who restricts tv time. Im shocked and appalled at how early screen are being put in front of our children's faces...
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Most media is an absolute waste of time. Quite frankly even this show is a waste of time, how much does anyone really get from it? How much do you learn or develop by listening or participating in it? It isn't really focused enough or a deep enough critique to learn in an efficient way. The topics are often interesting but the coverage is mainly superficial. But of course, I am here, because, it is the lesser of evils. Everyone needs some kind of distraction, so I allow myself this. I am not saying this in order to bash the show, because I generally like it, but I have to be realistic. It would seem disingenuous to talk about media while ignoring 'our' own reality. My point is really that most media has little value, most of our learning occurs because of 'us,' not because of 'them.'
It is taxing that everyone is buying into social networking. It seems as though the virus is so invasive that it is almost impossible to avoid creating an account---though, I have so far. But, perhaps, there is nothing wrong with the functional aspects of social networking, the problem is if you actually use it or depend on it. Has it leveled the social playing field, or just turned everyone into a loser? Being honest, I generally look down on people who use social networking, yes, even my boyfriend. Hum, is it something to end a relationship over? Maybe... Even my mother, I can't bare to be around, because she is always getting a text, or a call. It is like who are you people, are your lives this busy? You are always preparing for the next event, what about the here and now?
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P.S. Who cares if the kiddies get too much screen time? The ones that do, have probably found a better companion then their parents.
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Parents can add media literacy to screen time only if they are present; spending time with children is what they need, so perhaps young children should only watch if with the parents. I suspect the screen time is being used as a babysitter, but it isn't the same as an attentive adult.
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How much telephone time did you have as a teenager? An hour or two? Did your parents get a second line? Actually, I'm seeing my girls connect with more friends through chat or FB.
On the other hand, my husband is the one suffering from constant communication overload. His Blackberry has been his "Crackberry".
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There is so much judgement surrounding how much media kids can participate in. In our family we don't let our kids watch any TV or use the computer. They have cousins with DSs and Wii and a huge supply of movies. After we spend time with the cousins my boys ask for those things. We have a hard time explaining why we do not particpate in that sort of media without sounding judgemental. I want my kids to understand why we don't let them play/watch without judging those who do.
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How could it not be judgmental though? I ask myself that question often, is there a difference in saying 'this isn't good for me,' then in saying 'this isn't good for anyone?' Is it just semantics or a way to seem polite? If you think something is bad to do, and other people are doing it, it would seem impossible that you don't judge them because of it. Maybe I am just meaner then the next person, but I can't see much of a difference, in this distinction people try to make.
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Phone centered call centers are having difficulty hiring people to talk on the phone because of "chat" talking. Maybe my age will finally be an asset.
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To paraphrase Tim Leary... Turn-off, Tune-out, Drop-in (on a friend)... we plan the day to be so busy (including down-time away from media sources) that there's little time left for media engagement.
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That was an interesting show.
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I believe that the reason social media is so attractive to people is because it gives us options for controlling interactions with others. People and socializing can be unpredictable, and as people experience less and less "face-time" with others, their skills in interacting and expressing themselves become diminished. The ability to not only control, but also construct our interactions takes much of the stress out of being a social creature.
I have 2 children under 10 and limit their access to social media and technology as much as possible. It is interesting to see their friends who are allowed a lot of access try to cope with being in our home for sleep-overs and such. Their schoolmates hardly know what to do without a computer or Wii. As a volunteer in a school setting, I see this unrestrained access translating into an extremely limited attention span, inadequate sleep, and poor retention.
My children may not understand why they aren't allowed the technology that their friends have- but I believe that as a result of this parenting choice, they are going to be more creative and focused individuals, with a greater capacity for relationships and unstructured play.
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I am 14 going on 15, and I go to OES. I can hardly send emails, let alone text messages. I am not what you call technologically... prepared... My friends think I will get nowhere in life, I have no spacebook, myface, or whatever they are called... nor do I have a twittle account. This just goes to show that people can get by without the media. I listen to OPB when I go to school every day, and whenever I can between classes. I feel that the idea of 'media' is overrated. I get along fine... ish. Now how do I submit this?
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Perhaps it is beng the most common issue in these days about media..
Wizards of Waverly Place Episodes
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Comments are now closed.
How much media is too much? Perhaps it is all relative. If kids are being baby-sat by their focus on the media, then that may be too much. Some kids adapt well to balance between media focused lives and interacting with real people lives, others, including many adults I have seen can relate to people only through virtual mediums, like emails, cell phones, Instant messaging and related virtual media (not face to face interaction). I think the question is not merely about how much media for kids, but for everybody. Media probably should be used for information and as a tool to inform, not for a substitute for real interaction between people, but then every person has their own take on issues like this. History will tell whether we have (had) too much media now or not....it's something to think about.