Tips for a Healthy Media Diet

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Do you know media's impact?

The facts: Kids spend more than 52 hours per week with media

  • 61% of children 0-1 years old use screen media in a typical day
  • 71% of kids 8-18 years old have a TV in their bedroom
  • Most teens spend 30 minutes a day instant messaging
  • 55% of online teens have a social networking profile like Facebook or MySpace
Advice and Answers

Use media together and talk about what you see, hear, and read.

Whenever you can, watch, play, listen, and surf with your kids. Talk about the content. When you can’t be there, ask them about the media they’ve used. Practice media literacy – help kids question and analyze media messages by sharing your values. Let them know how you feel about solving problems with violence, stereotyping people, selling products using sex or cartoon characters, or advertising to kids in schools or movie theaters. Help kids connect what they learn in the media to events and other activities in which they’re involved, like playing sports and creating art, in order to broaden their understanding of the world.

Be a role model.

When kids are around, set an example by using media the way you want them to use it. Don't bring cell phones and Blackberries to the dinner table, turn the TV off when it's not actively being watched. Use a VCR or TiVo™ to record shows that may be inappropriate for your kids to watch – even the news – and watch them at a later time when kids are not around.

Keep an eye on the clock

Media is fun and our kids love it. But kids can have too much of a good thing. Keep an eye on how long kids spend online, in front of the TV, watching movies, playing video games. The secret to healthy media use is to establish time limits and stick to them -- before your kids turn on and tune in.

Download resources in Spanish

Download our Healthy Media Diet Tip-Sheet in Spanish
Our Community Says

What rules do you have around media use in your home?

There are 9 community opinions on this topic

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ZookGuy
Posted by ZookGuy on 01/29/2010 (teen contributor, age 13)

So wait... in the video, you say King Kong is a example of graphic violence in PG-13 films, but than near the end you say it's a good example?

Fail.

ZookGuy
Posted by ZookGuy on 01/29/2010 (teen contributor, age 13)

So wait... in the video, you say King Kong is a example of graphic violence in PG-13 films, but than near the end you say it's a good example?

Fail.

ZookGuy
Posted by ZookGuy on 01/29/2010 (teen contributor, age 13)

So wait... in the video, you say King Kong is a example of graphic violence in PG-13 films, but than near the end you say it's a good example?

Fail.

ZookGuy
Posted by ZookGuy on 01/29/2010 (teen contributor, age 13)

So wait... in the video, you say King Kong is a example of graphic violence in PG-13 films, but than near the end you say it's a good example?

Fail.

ParamoreFan09
Posted by ParamoreFan09 on 01/24/2010 (teen contributor, age 13)

Oh my god! They showed violence in that! Wat the HECK?! I can't believe that! On common sense media! Oh my god! Blood gushing down a girls face?! WHY SHOW THAT TO KIDS? A 7 YEAR OLD WITH AN ACCOUNT ON THIS COULD SEE THAT!!! They also showed swear words and sex! I thought common sense media was to KEEP kids from seeing that. And they shove it right in their faces. I am extremely disappointed. I can't believe this. THIS video had lots of things kids shouldn't see! Also, I think that parents need to take control and TALK to their kids. It's not their fault that the parents didn't make sure they knew what was ok and what was not ok. I can't believe this would be on this site. PARENTS ONLY!!! God, I'm terrified of blood! I cant believe they just showed it to me when the reason I'm on this site is to steer clear... I trusted it!

moviefan22
Posted by moviefan22 on 01/5/2010 (kid contributor, age 11)

I think this was a well made video to inspire parents to know what their kids are doing online, but it didn't have to show all what it did. I mean, on facebook, they showed two swear words, a sex scene from Desprate Housewives, and a lot of violent/scary clips from movies. They also showed really bad role models, so this video is definitely not for kids to see, just adults.

They could of just wrote that there are bad things on the web that parents should watch out for, and just show the texting and computer games, while not showing the bad words and violence.

Overall, even with the inappropriate video clips on here, it spreads a wonderful message.

(If you would like another website like commonsensemedia, but not as good of course, there is one called www.kids-in-mind.com .
I recomend staying on this site, but there's a suggestion anyways.

worstsitever
Posted by worstsitever on 12/29/2009 (kid contributor, age 11)

What was up with that video? The music of the first 25 seconds sounded like the theme to a war movie. And there was only 21 seconds of kids actually talking. The video player wasn't working at all at first. Why did every subject have to start with i? oh and,

"82% of parents whose TEEMS"

REEEEAL PROFFESIONAL CSM. You know what's even more professional? showing f***king in a video, on a website that discourages this kind of stuff. Oh and nothing screams inspiration more than a warped harry potter whose screaming. The amount of fail in this video is astounding.

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