Media use among children has been a hot topic in the news lately. This is due to the recent occurrences that have been occurring without, and school shootings. While some of the events may have been preventable, by using common sense and talking to your child about what they are watching, you can help them understand why they may be reacting the way they are.
Research has shown that children who have direct contact with their parents are better able to process information than those who do not. Also, listening to your child and understanding what they are saying helps them understand their environment. Parenting also helps the child to connect with others in their peer group, which helps them in many areas of life.
It’s also important to keep in mind that children take time for play. Studies have shown that children who are always being asked to be active are actually more creative than those who don’t have this type of control. Being a good example of your child, always letting them play, and encouraging them to do things that interest them helps the child understand that life is a game, and not a chore. Also, being sure to let them know that you love them when they do good, helps them to feel that their parent cares about them. Showing your child that you appreciate them also plays an important part in developing their self-esteem. When they see that you are proud of them, they will try to do things that you admire, too.
The way that media affect your child’s self-image can be negative or positive. It all depends on the type of images that you are trying to convey to your child. One example of a negative image would be to use exaggerated facial expressions when speaking. Another would be to project an image of someone older than your child, or someone with younger age. By projecting an image of an adult, or someone older than your child, that can lead to the whole “we’re not as young anymore” syndrome that so many children experience.
How media use affects your child’s self-confidence can also be negative. One of the problems that many parents face is teaching their kids that certain activities or topics are not appropriate for them. This leads to a lack of self-esteem in your child and can affect the way they act around other children. If you’ve tried to talk to your child about any behaviors that you don’t think are appropriate, but they continue to do them anyway, you need to talk to them about this issue.
How media use affects your child’s academic performance can be negative or positive. One of the most obvious examples would be if your child watches TV, they become less interested in school. Children are social beings, and if they don’t interact with their classmates, they may feel that they aren’t really doing well. So, when they see other kids talking on the television, it may cause them to become distracted and less attentive.
On the other hand, studies have shown that the act of playing video games can actually stimulate the release of several brain chemicals. The release of dopamine has been proven to improve concentration. Similarly, serotonin has been found to boost self-esteem. So, when you’re talking to your child about media, try to explain that playing video games is actually beneficial to their education, and how media use affects your child.
In the final analysis, how media use affects your child is a very complicated topic. Every child is different, and each one will respond differently to various aspects of this. However, one thing that you can do to try and make sure that your child is exposed to as many different things as possible is to encourage them to express themselves creatively. There are several online sites that are devoted to this, which should give you some great ideas for things that you can share with your child. Keep in mind that even though they are being creative, it does not mean that they are necessarily getting an advantage from doing so. This is why it is a good idea to always model the activities that you would be doing with your child.