May 19, 2010

Parents want more control over media content, study shows

By Julie Filby

Parents are worried about their children’s exposure to sex, violence and other inappropriate content in media, according to a study released by the U.S. bishops last month.

The study “Parents’ Hopes & Concerns About the Impact of Media on their Children” suggested more than 80 percent of parents are concerned about depictions of violence, sex, illegal drug use, alcohol abuse and profane language in the media—particularly on television programs and Internet sites. Other platforms raising concern were TV ads, social networking sites, video games, music and cell phones.

“In the past a child watching too much TV was a waste of time,” said Chris Stefanick, director of the Office of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry for the Denver Archdiocese. “Now it’s also a considerable danger for the soul.”

Sexual content ranked highest on the list of parent concerns. Approximately 70 percent of TV programming contains sexual content according to “Sex-on-TV-4,”a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Yet less than 15 percent of programs refer to responsibilities or risks associated with sex.

“Hollywood isn’t only stealing children’s time,” Stefanick said. “It’s often offering its own form of ‘sex education’ right under your nose.”

Parents must restrict not only the quality of media children consume, but also the quantity.

“Rules need to be established,” Stefanick said. “There are incessant audio and visual stimuli barraging young people’s brains. If your child seems bored, impatient and disconnected, the solution might be as simple as ‘pulling the plug.’”

Eight- to 18-year-olds devote an average of seven hours and 38 minutes each day to entertainment media according to “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year Olds” another study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s up from six and a half hours five years ago. As technology advances, the amount of media consumed increases.

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops study, more than 90 percent of parents said their family has rules about what media their children can use and how much, and more than half said they use parental controls for television, Internet and video games.

Two-thirds said the following factors would increase their use of parental controls: a better understanding of them, greater availability of products with controls already set, and the ability to block inappropriate TV ads. Sixty-one percent of parents said they are concerned about inappropriate ads.

Jennifer Matheson and husband Mike—parishioners of Holy Ghost Church in Denver—have five children ranging from age 5 to 13. Avoiding unsuitable TV ads has been a challenge for them.

“We watch a lot of sports and that’s when we encounter problems,” she said. “The worst offenders are Go Daddy and the cringe-inducing ads for Viagra or Cialis.”

To avoid them they record programs using a digital video recorder (DVR) and fast-forward through commercials.

“We also watch sports live and pause when we need to, to skip the commercials,” she added.

Charlie Dunham and wife Dana—parishioners of St. Thomas More Church in Centennial—are parents to three teenagers from age 13 to 17. Through their computer consulting business Colorado Computers, Dunham has encountered many parents looking for assistance with media controls.

“I have parents who are very computer savvy and want to double-check they’re doing all they can to help protect their kids,” he said. “And I have parents who feel left behind by technology and want to get started with the most basic questions.”

To gain a better understanding about products available parents must do research.

“I recommend reading about the various parental control options and talking with other parents about it,” Dunham said. “The Internet is a blessing and a curse in this day and age.”

Of special concern in the survey were portrayals of drug and alcohol abuse, which are currently not considered by many ratings and parental control systems.

“All shows from time-to-time show inappropriate things,” Matheson said. “We decided we would talk about things as they happen, helping (the children) discern good from junk, and funny from mean.

“My end goal is for them to be able to discern for themselves,” she said. “Media will be a huge part of their lives, more so than mine.”

Three-fourths of respondents believe media products makers should do more to protect children from inappropriate content, while 58 percent said government should also do more. The USCCB recommended that policymakers and broadcasters develop resources to promote and enhance parents’ use of controls.

In addition they recommended not overlooking the impact of TV by placing greater emphasis on newer media such as the Internet and social networking.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Dunham said. “I’ve seen the aftermath many times of parents who don’t ask and their children wind up in dangerous places with technology.

“We’d never dream of turning our kids loose driving a car without instruction, guidelines and boundaries. I suggest the same approach with the Internet.”

Study results were based on a national random survey conducted Feb. 16–20 of 500 parents of children ages 2–14. View the survey at www.usccb.org/comm/Parents-Hopes-Concerns-Impact-Media-on-Children.pdf. For specific information on computer safety and other parental control technology, see resources below.

MEDIA CONTROL RESOURCES

Computer Safety

Keep computers in high-traffic areas of the house. Consider using parental controls to monitor usage and filter sites. A parent with a general understanding of computers can usually install and set up one of these programs with little difficulty.

• The most basic controls are free and built into Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Apple products. Built-in filters can control content and access time, but are limited in the scope of protection.
• The second class of control is included with many antivirus/Internet security products or available as a free add-on. For example, Norton Internet Security, McAfee Internet Security and Trend Micro have add-on products that give parents additional control over content and Web sites.
• Third, standalone products provide additional customization and control as well as tracking sites visited or attempted. Products include Net Nanny (www.netnanny.com) and Cyber Sitter (www.cybersitter.com).
• Finally, there are sophisticated products designed to track usage, log usernames and passwords, log screen-shots and keystrokes (useful for finding usernames and passwords if needed), Internet usage times and Internet history. One example is SpectorPro (www.spectorsoft.com).

TV Blocking
Since January 2000, the Federal Communications Commission has required that all new TV sets (13 inches or larger) contain a V-Chip. If you have an older television and subscribe to a pay TV service, the provider can supply a V-Chip. This technology gives parents the ability to block programming based on specific criteria (such as violence, nudity and language). A 4-digit password is required to un-block programs. To review the associated ratings system visit www.fcc.gov/vchip.

Related Safety Issues
For cell phone safety, texting, chatting, social networking and cyber-bullying resources, visit these sites:
www.connectsafely.org
www.safekids.com
www.safeteens.com