Never before has anyone tried to address the
issues of activity, nutrition, and screen time all
at once. Until now, that is. Switch™--active
lifestyles from MediaWise®--a new licensed
program from the National Institute on Media
and the Family, makes it easier for communities
and families to make healthy choices about
what they do, view and chew.
Why Switch™ Matters
Increased screen time is the most signifi cant
lifestyle change affecting kids in the last ten
years. Kids today spend more time in front of
a screen than any other activity except sleeping.
On average, they clock close to 45 hours a week
fi xed to electronic screens. At the same time,
childhood obesity and diabetes have become
epidemics in American communities. And
chillingly, over half of all childhood obesity
cases are linked to excessive screen time.
Parents Know What’s Best
All parents want their children to be healthy.
That’s why Switch™ provides parents
with the tools and resources to make it
easier to switch on health and fitness.
Sometimes it’s hard to maintain healthy
choices on your own. Part of what
makes Switch™ unique is how it gets
the community, the schools, and families
working together to promote healthy
lifestyles.
Switch™ Is a Solution
The Institute works with community
sponsors, schools and other
organizations to launch the six month
program targeted for third , fourth, or
fi fth grade students and their families.
For more information on Switch™, visit www.mediawise.org/switch.
We know from project research that
kids who participate in Switch make
positive behavior changes that benefit
their health and wellness.
Dr. Dave’s Early Childhood Summer Fun Tips
Summer offers lots of
opportunities to help
kids stay healthy and
active. Try these tips
for healthy summer fun
and an alternative to
excessive screen time.
Introduce your child to new fruits. Try something
new with colors and textures your children haven’t seen
before. Make a fruit salad and eat it together!
Take advantage of summer events. Most communities
hold summer festivals, parties, and fairs. Libraries offer
special readings and puppet shows. Share outdoor music
with your children and neighbors.
Maintain a routine. Even though schedules change in
the summer, it’s important to maintain a family routine.
Make bedtime reading a nightly ritual all year long.
FCC Finds Too Much Violence on
Primetime TV
A new report from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
says something American families have seen for years: too much graphic
violence on primetime TV. After reviewing years of research and in-depth
analysis, the FCC has joined the chorus of medical and psychological
experts, including the U.S. Surgeon General, who believe there is a link
between exposure to violence in the media and an increase in real-world
aggression in children. The
National Institute on Media
and the Family commended
the agency on its work and
recommendations:
“The FCC and members
of Congress have come to
the same conclusion that
most families already have
– primetime television is
becoming more violent
and graphic, and parents need simple tools to help them make better
media choices for their families. The V-chip and the voluntary TV ratings
system have been important steps in helping parents, but too many
parents think the current ratings are confusing and the V-chip is too
diffi cult to use.”
The report also called for a universal rating system for all media. The
National Institute on Media and the Family shares the FCC’s desire for a
new universal rating system covering all media.
Institute
News
New Parent Guide to Online
Gaming and Kids Available
Steadily building its membership and
reaching more families every day, the
MediaWise(R) Network recently made
an important new resource available
for members: a Parent Guide to Online
Gaming and Kids. What does the future
of video games look like? What are the
benefi ts for our kids? What should we
watch out for? What do we do about it?
Join the FREE MediaWise Network for
answers to these questions and more.
To raise awareness of cutting-edge issues,
the Network also offers members a
bonus: a special video lecture from Dr.
David Walsh on the role of emerging
technology in young people’s lives.
For more information on the MediaWise
Network and the new Parent Guide to
Online Gaming and Kids click here.
To see Dr. Walsh’s video on emerging
technology click here.
Study: A lot of TV Not Great for Babies
A study from the University of Washington
found that 40 percent of babies three
months old are regular TV viewers. It also
found that 90 percent of two-year-olds
watch TV every day for an average of an
hour and a half. The study noted that TV
viewing by kids younger than two may
actually hinder language development
and increase the likelihood of attention
disorders.
Media Trends: Video Game Addiction
As the popularity of video games continues to grow, unfortunately,
so does the threat of video game addiction. For years, many experts
have been concerned about video game addiction, but no one really
understood how widespread the problem was.
Now, thanks to the research of Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., the Institute’s
director of research, we know that nearly one in 12 gamers age eight
to 18 display pathological patterns of video game play: patterns that
demonstrated damage to family, social, school, or psychological
functioning.
For more information on video game addiction, visit
www.mediawise.org and click on the “Hot Topics” tab.
You can help us help families
Future research and outreach efforts would not be possible
without continued support.
The Institute accepts donations via mail, telephone, and
online:
Editor:
Monica Walsh
Writing and Design:
New School Communications
National
Institute on Media and the Family
606 24th Avenue South, Suite 606, Minneapolis,
MN 55454 Toll-free 888.672.5437 Fax 612.672.4113 Web site www.mediafamily.org
Individuals and organizations are encouraged
to print and distribute copies of this newsletter.
Please call for permission to republish any
of this material.
The Institute’s mission is to maximize
the benefits and minimize
the harm of media on children and families
through research, education, and advocacy.
Our
media culture is changing how kids learn.
Together we make sure it's for the better. Donate
Now!
Introduce your child to new fruits. Try something
new with colors and textures your children haven’t seen
before. Make a fruit salad and eat it together!
A new report from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
says something American families have seen for years: too much graphic
violence on primetime TV. After reviewing years of research and in-depth
analysis, the FCC has joined the chorus of medical and psychological
experts, including the U.S. Surgeon General, who believe there is a link
between exposure to violence in the media and an increase in real-world
aggression in children. The
National Institute on Media
and the Family commended
the agency on its work and
recommendations:
