“40 percent of 3-month-old infants are regularly watching TV, DVDs or videos”

A large number of parents are ignoring warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics and are allowing their very young children to watch television, DVDs, or videos so that by 3 months of age 40 percent of infants are regular viewers.

That number jumps to 90 percent of 2-year-olds, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute. The findings are published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to focus on advertising. Since Christmas shopping accounts for approximately 60-80% of the annual revenue for stores, this is a critical time for them. Look through the newspaper’s advertising supplements and discuss the primary focus of each ad. Explain the purpose of advertising and the expenses that are connected with it. After viewing TV commercials, turn off the TV and discuss the relationship of advertising and programming. In essence, the sponsors purchase “air time” which pays for the programming and allows TV to be free to the viewers.

Ministry Team Summary

The Media Literacy Ministry Team is dedicated to encouraging and equipping families, youth pastors, and churches to promote discernment and critical thinking about media messages in children and teens. In a culture where the average American child watches nearly 3 1/2 hours of television every day, it is important to offer effective and age-appropriate activities to encourage children and teens to think for themselves.  The going price for 30-second spot on Fox's popular “American Idol” ranges from $500,000 to $700,000. Advertisers well understand the power and influence of the media. Children and teens need to develop skills and gain the knowledge needed to question, analyze, interpret, and evaluate all media messages. This is the essence of media literacy: the application of critical thinking to the messages of print and electronic media. This focus group will offer opportunities to integrate media literacy concepts and activities into all aspects of our Christian life. As Christians, we are to be “in the world but not of the world”. Media literacy is the key that unlocks this capability. Children become media consumers early in life and soon their existence is so entwined in the culture that asking them to analyze what they see is like asking a goldfish to analyze the water! This group will share resources, discussion opportunities, workshops, and practical suggestions to help young people become discerning Christians and thoughtful citizens.

Are you interested in helping children and teens understand about advertising? Check out this interactive website created by PBS:
“Don’t Buy It!” http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit
Visitors to this site can learn while they are engaged in media literacy activities. This is appropriate for all elementary and middle school ages, and perfect for home-schooled kids.

Sue Summers is a former elementary school library media specialist. She is the author of 3 books on media literacy and is a frequent speaker at educational conferences. Last year she won Cable’s 2006 “Leaders in Learning” National Media Literacy Award. Sue will be a presenter at the 2009 AMFM Conference in Phoenix.

Address:
5816 South Lupine Drive Littleton, CO 80123
(303) 738-8137
Email:
Sue@MediaAlert.org
Website:
www.MediaAlert.org

Sorry, there are no upcoming events.

This new Ministry Team is challenging all Christians who have a ministry related to media literacy to get involved. This is not media bashing! The purpose, rather, is to join together to raise up a generation of Godly men and women who will be truly media-savvy!
Families need help in this area to select appropriate media messages.

Contact Sue for more information.