How do we protect our kids from violent images, when they're are all around us, all the time? Founder and Director of the Center on Media and Child Health, Michael Rich ( @mediatrician ), and Executive Director of Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, Josh Golin , joined Jim to discuss.
Children are exposed to violent media not only through the games and shows that they watch, but also through our daily news coverage. "We're not paying attention to the news that these kids are being fed," said Rich. And going TV-less doesn't prevent children from seeing the news. They are exposed to it on phones, tablets, newspapers, their friends devices, and the things they walk by on the street. These images have a profound impact on children.
Golin noted that there need to be better rating systems for game sand movies that children play and watch. He said that there has been a ratings creep, where movies that used to be rated R, are now rated PG-13 or even PG. But he thinks that they can make a real difference in changing these ratings. Golin also said that there needs to be a crack down on marketing of violence to children. "It needs to change," he said. He explained that three-year-olds should not targeted for toys that get them into violent franchises.
Rich explained the "media diet," which is the totality of what children are consuming. He said that we spend time and money regulating what our kids eat, but no one is thinking about what they are putting into their kids' minds. To fix this, he hopes to educate and empower consumers, both kids and parents, and have them recognize that the media they use changes them.
