Did you know that the local news and newspaper might do your child more harm than good?
A disproportionate amount of the news featured both on television and in the printed paper focuses on negative stories, many of which have a violent or aggressive undertone. Certainly, there are some positive, "feel good" stories lightly sprinkled in the printed pages and on t.v. but the headlining stories and the front pages typically feature violence, tragedies or grave news of some sort. It´s fine for children to know what´s happening in the world but over time, the accumulated impact of exposure to such dark fare can potentially do several different things. Children repeatedly exposed to such heavy stories may adopt a negative or dark view of the world around them. In addition, a child exposed repeatedly to stories of violence or tragedy can easily become desensitized to these, and might show less empathy towards others. Finally, if the most worthwhile "news" worth reporting relates to tragedy and negative stories about others´ lives, this can shape how and what your child communicates. If your child watches the news or reads the newspaper, teach them how to be a good consumer of news. Help them realize that, for better or worse, negative news is more compelling and keeps the viewer/reader engaged (making the connection to how quickly gossip and rumors spread brings this point home quickly.) Model empathy for victims of tragedy and violence in the news stories. Teach children how to balance out the negative news with the widespread positive that is not written or discussed. As with any type of media, adult supervision and mediation make all the difference in what your child will take away from it.
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