Are kids becoming too aggressive with siblings and schoolmates?
Maybe it's because they're watching too much TV.
I'm Bill McCartney... It's 4TH and Goal!
A new study by the Stanford University Medical School establishes
a strong link between the amount of time kids spend watching TV and playing
video games and the amount of violent or aggressive behavior they engage
in with their peers.
Earlier studies verified that exposure to violent media causes children
to become more aggressive and to view aggression as an acceptable way to
resolve conflict.
The good news is that the Stanford University study found that reducing
the amount of time grade-schoolers watch television and video games can
make them less aggressive.
They formed two groups of third and fourth graders and encouraged
the parents of one group to cut down on their screen-time. At the
end of six months, the researchers found that these kids' TV viewing had
been reduced by about one-third, which translated into a 25% reduction
in aggressive behavior, as assessed by other students!
On the playground, these kids engaged in about half as many verbally
aggressive behaviors-and it was true for girls as well as boys. "Reducing
television viewing really will work to decrease kids' aggressive behavior,"
said Dr. Thomas Robinson, the study's lead author.
Men, this is significant! There's so much violent content out
there today that simply by cutting down on the time we allow our children
to watch TV and video games, we can almost guarantee that they will behave
better.
I strongly suggest that you consider alternatives to TV watching
for your family. By limiting the time our kids can spend in front
of the tube, we automatically lessen their exposure to violence and force
them make better choices like doing their homework, reading and involvement
in sports.
It might also mean making more time for doing family activities such
as playing board games and doing puzzles together on a regular basis-and
more family time isn't a bad thing either!
I'm Coach Bill McCartney.
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Copyright (c) 2000 Promise Keepers.
4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney,
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