Mind Over Media: Early choices
for healthy development

What do we, as parents, want for our children? That they grow up as happy and responsible members of the community who share our values and outlook on the world? That they learn skills that will help them to have fulfilling personal and work lives as adults? Perhaps also that they have happy and fulfilling lives as children, learning the necessary skills in a safe, fun environment?

Many aspects of their lives contribute to them having these opportunities and experiences, some of which are outside of our control as parents. The media is an all pervasive and influential element in the lives of most Australian children, and it is a factor that is within our sphere of influence as parents and caregivers—we can use the media to help rather than hinder our children’s healthy development.

This is the first of a series of Fact Sheets called Mind Over Media. They show you how to use media to make a positive contribution to your child’s life. Prepared by Young Media Australia and sponsored by the Telstra Foundation, the series provides parents and caregivers with information about media use and early development of very young children, that is children aged 0–5 years. Each Fact Sheet will include strategies for parents and caregivers.

This topic gives you an overview of the six Mind Over Media Fact Sheets, exploring the role that careful choice of media can play in assisting your children to develop:

• healthy relationships
• good social and emotional skills
• a strong and confident sense of self
• good language skills
• thinking skills—analytical and creative
• a realistic understanding of the world.

Here are some snippets from this exciting series…

Mind Over Media: Developing healthy relationships

The first five years of a child’s life are vital in developing their ability to relate to others. The formation of healthy relationships in the early years is the foundation on which subsequent development is built.

It is important that infants learn that their emotions will be responded to and that they can influence what their primary caregiver does for them. Television, however, can not respond to an infant’s needs nor give appropriate emotional responses. As such, it is a very poor babysitter for infants and can hinder rather than help their most important developmental task, that of attachment to their primary caregiver.

Older preschoolers will benefit from watching television or videos, playing computer games or using the internet, if you participate in the activity with them, responding to them and what they are doing or watching.

Mind Over Media: Developing good social and emotional skills

As children mature, they learn to moderate their emotional reactions and develop appropriate social skills. It is a relatively ‘normal’ response of a frustrated two year old to scream, kick or hit. However, by the time the child is five, it is expected that they will have learnt a number of different ways to solve problems and to deal with having their wishes frustrated.

This transition is due in large part to the development of language and cognitive skills between the ages of two and five. The media can also assist by showing the toddler what behaviours are appropriate and successful in dealing with problems and frustrations.

Many excellent children’s television programs are available which model behaviours such as cooperation, getting along with others and treating them with respect. Children who watch such programs see a range of positive behaviours which they can choose to imitate.

There is now an abundance of evidence which shows that media violence has both short and long term consequences. In the short term, aggressive behaviours increase immediately after watching media violence. In the long term, over-exposure to violent media limits the individual’s ability to generate alternative solutions to conflict.

Mind Over Media: Developing a strong and confident sense of self

Many elements go to make up a strong and confident sense of self, including a sense of being loved and appreciated.

Renowned child psychologist, Steve Biddulph, has described commercial television as “…a direct attack on the self-esteem of children and teenagers” in that its specific purpose is to make you feel that you will only be happy when you buy the items being advertised.

The best defence against the negative impact of advertising is for parents to constantly remind children, verbally and with their actions, that they are loved exactly as they are.

Mind Over Media: Developing good language skills

Children develop good language skills by listening to their carers and experimenting with words that name things and action words to get what they want. Some television programs, notably the Teletubbies, support this language development by showing four stages of development with each of the Teletubbies, with everything they attempt to say being repeated accurately by an adult voiceover.

Some experts have theorised that private vocalisations during early play are important for developing language, and that this may be disrupted by having a television on in the background while the very young child is playing.

Mind Over Media: Developing good thinking skills—analytical and creative

Children develop good problem solving and analytical skills by actively experimenting with the natural environment. Some computer and video games, used in moderation, can support this process.

There is some evidence to suggest that children’s programs specifically designed to stimulate children’s imagination can promote imaginative play, particularly if the child has the opportunity to imitate and extend the play after the program is finished.

The majority of studies suggest that extended television viewing reduces imagination and creativity—the time that your child spends watching TV is time that they are not spending doing other things such as imaginative play.

Mind Over Media: Developing a realistic understanding of the world

Between the ages of zero to five a child learns important lessons about the difference between fantasy and reality. This is largely done by doing ‘reality checks’ of how they are feeling and behaving against the reactions of their primary caregivers.

While interacting with media, it is helpful for the child if a caregiver is present to comment on the ‘reality’ of what they are watching or doing. Extended television consumption may interfere with this important ‘reality checking’ process.

Young children may also be vulnerable to what might be seen on television, particularly exposure to frightening events, such as is shown on the TV News. There are however, many excellent programs which will show the child elements of their world in a safe and non-threatening way.

Readings & research

• Media education
  • Books, articles and reports
  • Websites