Post on 02-Jan-2016
description
Politics of HopeCommunity Mobilization Against the Risks of Violent Entertainment?
Stephen Kline,Kym StewartShane HalaszSimon Fraser University
Goal of this project
We want to see if we can help make our children’s lives safer and healthier by reducing the risks associated with TV watching, Internet use and playing with video games
Media Risk Reduction Website
Show lessons for each week to be completed in the classroom.
Show results of surveys and projects completed by students.
Provide resources for parents, students and teachers. Including reviews of current TV programs,
books and toys. Educational videos produced by SFU students
Risky World
High tech society = increased environmental risks
Not a matter of personal choice
The more we know the better we can control them
Risks to health and well-being
Lifestyle risks
Voluntary Therefore
governments are reluctant to regulate
Therefore it falls upon parental consumer
Risk associated with new media
Began with the diffusion of TV after WWII
Window onto the world of knowledge
Vast wasteland
Health and safety risks associated with media
Sitting in front of a computer leads to a increased Risk of heart attack
Pokemon cartoon leading to Epileptic seizures
Costs and benefits
Homework
Surfing pornography
Cyber-stalking
Email bullying
3 lifestyle risks
Risk to Education Poor grades
Risk to Health Lack of fitness
Risk of aggression and anti-social behaviour Bullying, being bullied, fighting, lack of
social skills
Risks to education
Poor reading Lower grades
Complex factors Child’s intelligence Family support Home environment
YRSB Reading Statistics
‘A’ Students 31.3% were light viewers 17.1% were heavy viewers
‘C’ Students 28.9% were light viewers 42.3% were heavy viewers
Risk to health
Obesity is higher among heavy TV viewers
Especially girls
YSRB obesity statistics
Overweight children
15.2% were light viewers
24.5% were heavy viewers
Correlation between media and obesity
exposed to more snack food and fast food commercials
tend to give up active leisure activities
Perpetual Media Panic: Kids Killing Kids
QuickTime™ and aCinepak decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
missing the mark!
School shootings are 1% of all child killings
17,000 dying in car accidents
30% obesity rate
Surgeon General
“ Americans cannot afford to become complacent. Even though youth violence is less lethal today than it was in 1993, the percentage of adolescents involved in violent behavior remains alarmingly high”
Not just an American problem
2001 OSDUS Mental Health Report
12% of students reported assaulting someone during last year
10% reported carrying a weapon to school
25% of students were bullied at school
32% reported bullying others
Provincial Satisfaction Surveys Grade 4 Students
“At school, are you bullied, teased or picked on?” 16% ‘sometimes’ 13% ‘many time to all the time’
“Do you feel safe at school?” 10% ‘sometimes’ 4% ‘few time to at no time’
7% solution; why focus on the relationship between media and violence
Light viewers 30.5 % aggressive
Heavy viewers 37.7% aggressive
Accounts for 1,700,000 fights
Debate
50 year debate Media industries – “No causal
relationship” Kids know between fiction and reality
Still children are exposed to 8,000 deaths and 100,000 violent acts by the time they reach 12 years of age.
Canadian studies
Media Quotient
57% of parents see their kids are being affected
Media Watch
70% of parents said media violence was their highest priority
Regulations
Adapting Tom Robinson’s Media Risk Reduction Strategy
Logic: If the more they watch the more they are at risk…Then ‘reducing the amount kids watch should reduce aggression on the playground’.
Design of Intervention
Eighteen 30-50 minute lessons media time budgets kept
TV turn off week
Peer advocacy of alternatives
Parental newsletter- parental support
Results of Robinson’s approach
25% reduction of aggression on the playground
Decrease in fear and anxiety
Decreases in peer ratings of aggression
Slower weight gain
More active leisure
Think globally act locally
Increasing deregulation
Community based program Help to reduce risks associated with media
Well designed social communication campaign Help kids to cut down their media use for one
week
Media as part of Children’s Lives
Media is embedded in children’s routines
Part of their social and family life
Media Environment
Media is not their preferred activities
Rather be with friends or family Rely on media because of boredom
Part of Peer Culture
Media has become a shared experience
Discussion of shows or games among peers
Need to make non-media activities just as COOL as media activities
Home environment
Habits are developed within a family dynamic
Media in the bedroom
Laissez faire attitude
Key points for success
Parental involvement know the risks support with negotiation and modelling create alternatives
Media Education Create realistic goals and expectations Peer discussion and decision making Provides feedback and structures rewards
Working with other community resources to provide alternatives
Health RCMP Recreation centers library
Lesson 1; Reflexivity
Media audit Time spent with the media
media audit for students and teachers Optional media audit for parents
Inclass activities like media math to help reflect on time spent with the media
Lesson 2; Moral Education
To help the students understand and discuss the rules and limitations they deal with when playing ‘rough and tumble’ games.
Using video clips of scenarios (playing versus bullying)
Talk to the students about negotiating play rules and what happens when a play activity get too rough
Lesson 3; Scripting and Re-scripting
To help the students understand the terms characters and roles in the media and in real life.
Using video clips or story discuss the options a character may have in dealing with a problem
Simpsons cartoon-Barts bullying incidences
Lesson 4; Heroes/Heroines and Villains
To make the students aware of the roles characters play on TV, in movies and on computer/video games Activities may include; art projects,
story writing, surveys and parent-child interviews
Media Tune Out week
Challenge the students to Tune Out media for one week Prior to this week discuss other
activities they can do Parental workshops will help to provide
alternative activities and support for the families during this time
Final interviews
Children, teachers and parents will be interviewed on the media risk strategies Data will be collected and analyzed Changes will be made Further funding will be sought to
continue the program