July-August 1998
Controlling the TV
A Winning Game Plan
by Randall Murphree
Massive exposure to television sex can alter moral judgment in adolescents according to a study by University of Alabama researchers Jennings Bryant and Steven Carl Rockwell. Conducting three experiments in 1994, they determined that young teens (13- and 14-year-olds) exposed to large amounts of immoral sex on television are at risk of having their moral judgment altered.
Respondents in a September 1997 poll by the Los Angeles Times also say that television contributes to aggressive behavior and sexual activity. The Times polled 1,258 adults across the nation and found that 98 percent have at least one television in their home and watch an average of three hours a day. Seventy-one percent believe explicit portrayal of sex and nudity on TV encourages immorality, and 70 percent believe TV violence causes aggressive behavior among those who view it. Sixty-five percent think TV is worse now than it was 10 years ago, and 70 percent believe the television industry elite have values very different from their own.
Industry voices deny any difference between their values and those of middle America. Sandy Grushow, president of 20th Century Fox Television, said that if the public knew people in Hollywood, they would realize that the values held by the executives in this town are consistent with America at large.
Still, nearly six in ten Times respondents said the industry should resist providing more explicit programming, even if they think viewers want it. Watchdog groups who monitor television indicate that illicit sex, graphic violence and profane language continue unabated. Recent seasons have seen the networks take a giant leap into ever more graphic sexual content and cruder language, even during what was once known as television's family hour.
In the fall of 1997, American Family Association (AFA) found that 92 percent of prime-time's references to sex occurred between people not married to each other. AFA monitoring covered all prime-time programs on the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) from October 26 to November 22. The 92 percent was the highest since the group began monitoring 20 years ago.
The other side of the coin, however, according to Bryant and Rockwell, is that families who have open communication with their teens, a well-defined value system and a critical viewing style can reduce, if not eliminate, the harmful effects of television.
Believe it or not, there are many strategies the conscientious family can use to win control over television. Here are seven simple steps:
1) DEFINE THE PLAYING FIELD
While some suggest that we simply throw the TV out of the house, most of us are unwilling to take such a drastic measure. Yet, parents who truly want to conquer television's pervasive influence over their children should reduce the total number of operating TVs to exactly one.
Next, put it in a basement room, guest room or some back corner not easily accessible. That way, you'll have to go there intentionally to watch TV.
If necessary, secure the TV or the room in such a way that children cannot gain access to it except when supervised.
2) HAVE A GAME PLAN
Determine a reasonable amount of time you as a parent can spend watching TV each week.
Then, sit down with the family and consult a TV Guide or programming schedule from your local paper to decide ahead of time what shows you will watch together during the coming week. Turn the TV on for those shows only -- nothing else.
3) BE SURE A COACH IS PRESENT BEFORE THE GAME BEGINS
Children -- young teens as well as younger children -- should not watch TV without a mature adult present.
That may sound too restrictive for teens and parents alike, but it is imperative, especially as you first begin your program to control the TV.
This is critical because our children, for the most part, have absorbed many of the media's values without being guided adequately in critical skills for evaluating what they see and hear.
4) DEVELOP THE SKILLS OF THE GAME
Watching with your children, you can raise questions and guide discussion about the show's message. During the program, jot down questions to discuss with your children. For example:
- Do characters use language we don't approve of?
- What did characters do that proved their honesty or dishonesty? What were the consequences?
- Did any character display selfishness? What was its result?
- Were there any activities that conflict with our Christian faith?
- What moral values are taught?
Develop creative, pointed questions that relate to your children's lives and maturity levels. Encourage children to develop a set of questions or a checklist of their own for the family to use in evaluating programs.
One way to develop critical viewing skills is to videotape programs you want to watch. Then you can pause for discussion at appropriate points as you watch the program.
5) OBSERVE THE THREE-STRIKES-AND-YOU'RE-OUT RULE
When a program offends your family's Christian values (with profanity, crude language, unacceptable behavior, illicit sex, etc.), turn it off immediately. Then discuss why you did so.
Use questions to encourage children to reach their own conclusions, thus developing their critical skills.
Use a three-strikes-and-you're-out rule to rate series. For example, if "Program A" has to be turned off this week, that's strike one. If you watch it again in two weeks and it has to be turned off again, that's strike two. When it gets the third strike -- whether it's the third week or the thirteenth -- it's permanently off the family viewing list.
6) SUBSTITUTE LIBERALLY
Provide alternative activities -- go for ice cream, watch a family video or movie, or do a good deed for a neighbor. Go to the park, buy a new board game or browse the bookstores to find books for the family. It is important to have some of these plans in place before you tackle the greater task of controlling television. Elicit ideas from your children for activities to replace the hours you'll gain as TV becomes less and less a part of your family life.
7) REVIEW THE GAME AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES
As you reflect on your new relationship to TV, urge your children to identify ways to take a stand on issues. Ideally, parents will provide a good role model.
Write your own letters of concern to the networks about the influence of TV. Write thank you letters to producers of good programs. Write letters to television advertisers and letters to the editor of your local paper dealing with moral issues. Then encourage your children to do the same. Your local newspaper will be delighted to hear from their young readers who have formulated thoughtful opinions.
Taking Control of the TV
As you learn to prevent television from dominating your family room and your family life, you will find yourselves growing closer to each other. Furthermore, the Christian values you believe in will become a more integral part of your daily lives, and your children will be learning to make sound moral judgments in all areas of life.
Winning control of your family television time demands planning, strategy and discipline. But it's worth the commitment, because victory yields a family with a solid Christian foundation.
Randall Murphree is editor of American Family Association Journal in Tupelo, Mississippi. His freelance stories have appeared in Decision, FCA's Sharing the Victory, Religious Broadcasting, Sports Spectrum and other publications.
RESOURCES FOR PARENTSGet more information about television, its contents and its effects from the following:
American Family Association P.O. Drawer 2440 Tupelo, MS 38803 601-844-5036 AFA is a Christian ministry which monitors prime-time TV, recording incidents of illicit sex, profanity and violence. AFA Journal, a 24-page activist-oriented newsletter for parents about TV and other family issues, is available.
Movie Morality Ministries 1309 Seminole Drive Richardson, TX 75080 800-807-8071 MMM's twice monthly newsletter carries reviews of current movies viewed from a Christian perspective. The newsletter also covers a limited number of television programs. |