Most likely your children will spend more time watching television than any other activity except sleep. This includes the time they will spend reading, dating, working and, yes, listening to you. Unfortunately, what your children view is too often objectionable.

Most parents know their own values and recognize that many views presented on television are contrary. Realistically, these parents also recognize that in our pluralistic society, children need to confront opposing points of view. However, parents justifiably become upset when the repeatedly prevailing values are different than their own.

Also, the type and level of moral reasoning is overly simplistic. Again and again the same plot appears. Evil is pitted against good; eventually good conquers evil by using power to resolve human conflict — violently destroying the opposition.

How can you counteract excessive violence, unjustified advertisement, anti-social actions, negative role models, conflicting values and low-level moral reasoning? These objectionable elements will not disappear despite commendable efforts of parent groups to get rid of them. So, what can a parent do? Here are five steps that can help.

1. Recognize what it is that you don't like. This will help direct your attention and identify specific programs that are partially undesirable to you.

2. Guide and help children in program selection. If parents will obtain a programming guide at the beginning of the week and sit down with their children to work out a viewing program, then children will believe this is the normal way to manage television. This approach is most effective when established with young children, but it can be initiated with older children if there is open discussion about program selection.

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3. Provide discussion and counter opinion. In addition to program selection, a parent can watch TV with the child and then discuss highlights of the programs. Discussion and counter-opinion become important when viewing programs known to have negative content. Commercial breaks give an ideal time to discuss what is going on in the program.

4. Provide alternative activities. Adults as well as children will catch themselves turning on the TV when they have nothing to do. How many have watched a mediocre program simply out of habit? You turned on the set to look for something good. Too often we say, "If nothing is worth watching, then I'll do something else." Reverse the process by saying, "If there isn't something worth doing, then I'll watch TV."

5. Share television experiences. There is merit in having only one TV set in the home. The advantages of compromising and sharing within the family will far outweigh the pleasures of viewing only according to one's preferences. By watching common programs, conversation will be sparked. Questions can be asked about what the child or the adult would do in the same situation. Children can be asked to discuss their own lives in light of what they have watched on television or the news of the day.


Larry Jensen is a retired professor of psychology from Brigham Young University.

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