Call for Holiday Season's Comment Contributions

I know this is late, but better late than never.

I am opening this post for comments regarding the

"CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN'S TV PROGRAMS".

Your article MAY OR MAY NOT SUPPORT the campaign.

Just cite your reasons why you don't support it, or why you support it. It will be a kind of debate.


No one goes home empty handed.

For EACH contribution, I will be giving out 300 EC credits.


Three great commenters will be selected to win the following:

Best comment ( validity, clarity, content, ): 3,000 EC credits with 1 month free widget ad on this site.

1st runner-up: 2,000 EC with 1 month free widget ad on this site.

2nd runner-up: 1,000 EC with 1 month free widget ad on this site.

Comments should not be less than 50 words. This will be opened up to January 15,2009.

Join now and be aware of what is going on around you!

Special Needs Publications has so generously provided us with a link to his article "Children and Television", click the link to read it. (Sorry for the earlier error, thanks Ian for the correction).

What I Have Learned From Watching TV

I don't write commentaries, reviews or factual thoughts. I am more into creative writing. I am not a psychologist either, so I don't claim expertise in this field. I wrote this piece because I have observed and learned that TV has a very significant effect on children's behavior. I speak most specifically of violence on TV, which is slowly but surely destroying the basic non-violent mind-set of our children.


There are several factors affecting how the young are developed and molded into adults. These are the environment in which they grew in, the people around them, their genetic make-up, and their experiences and interactions with society.

A child who grew amidst love would think that the world "out there" is a "loving" world. On the other hand, the child who grew up amidst violence will assume that it is normal for people to hurt each other. Children will learn as they grow up that there is always the good and the bad and that these two exist in the real world. The belief they acquired; however, during their vulnerable childhood days would be more predominant in developing their personality.

Exposure to violence as a kid will have its lasting effects. These maybe deep seated or just "floating" on the surface of the child's subconscious. This will depend upon the intensity of his experiences. One thing is certain though - whatever memory he would have acquired, would be indelible.

Some TV programs have made violence as a selling point of their drama series/soap operas. There is no problem with adults watching these programs because they are able to identify the real from the fantasy world, but children do not have adult discernment to be able to do so.

People would say, "So don't allow the child to watch!" This is not possible though because families belonging to the lower economic stratum who have only one room - living room cum bedroom - are not allowed this luxury. And these families are growing in numbers!

This is most especially observed in third world countries where TV is the most convenient and cheapest method of entertainment. All these poor families could afford is a TV so while the mother puts the child to sleep, she watches; and the child's eyes are also glued to the TV, while trying to get some sleep.

Every single day, I watched the characters in these soaps in various violent scenes; they maybe in a gunfight, pulling each other's hairs, slapping each other or shouting at each other. These scenes say to the children that problems and conflicts could not be settled amicably and peacefully; that we have to be violent to settle disputes. Even family members plot and kill each other in some "soaps".

Are these the values we would like our children to learn? Several researches have proven that indeed violence on TV negatively influences children. As one researcher observed that most people believe this is so, but as expected, people in the TV industry do not believe in the results of these scientifically conducted studies.

I know it would be hard work for the TV people to create a high rating soap opera that does not involve violence, but that is the challenge I confront them with.

A talented and creative writer/producer would be able to write/produce TV soaps which would concentrate on non violent approaches, which would focus more on the positive aspects of the human character.

This has been published at Helium.com

Photo 1 by jerine

Photo 2 by giovanni_giusti

Photo 3 by Maxxer_

A Noble Endeavour by The Struggling Blogger

Roy Dela Cruz of The Struggling Blogger has undertaken a courageous and noble endeavor - that of helping out two indigent persons who are in need. The best that we can do is the spread the word; You can read his post HERE.

"Whatsoever you do, to the least of your brother, that you do unto me."

Whatever good you can do, do it now!"

Violence on TV and our Children

By Purpled Sky

Even before I had a daughter of my own, I have always been strong on my belief that children shouldn't be watching TV unless those that are designed for them.

And even so, TV watching should be properly monitored, after all, toddlers are more attentive to commercials primarily because of their catchy jingles. And hey, don't tell me I am the only one who hates commercials.


Read more of this...

About the Author:

Visit Purpled Sky's blog and read about interesting topics -one of them talks about TV violence - and many more.


Purpled Sky also says: "The best afternoon for me is spent snuggling with husband and playing peek-a-boo with baby X."

She is a great writer and I would like to correct an error which I had posted about her being a SAHM. Well, she is even more than that; she is also a working mom.

My hats off to you PS!

Thanks, for supporting this campaign.

Hello Guys, Let's All Welcome My Sister!

Let’s all welcome my sister to the blogging world!

She has 2 blogs: Candid Mom Reviews and Diary of a Start-Up Mom. My sis Marylyn is the sweetest of the lot; she’s not as “talkative” as I am, but she’s definitely smarter!

But I don’t mind, as it makes me proud to know that she is doing well in whatever goals she sets herself to achieve.

Her Candid Mom Reviews is a blog about almost anything under the sun, from groceries to her kid’s daily adventures.

The other blog is the Diary of a Start-Up Mom which deals with internet resources and opportunities.

Do pay a visit to her blogs.

Read These Interesting Topics from Helium

Community programs that can promote youth development

Youth development should be the primary consideration of any community because the youth are"The Hope of the Fatherland" (Jose Rizal).

It is right and proper therefore, that community programs should promote youth development.

What community programs could do this? The below mentioned are some suggestions of useful and relevant programs.
Read more...


How poverty is a challenge to democracy

Poverty is most often not associated with democracy but with communism. That makes it a challenge for democracy to prove that this is indeed true.

The truth is, poverty exists everywhere, but since democracy stands for the freedom and liberty to create your own destiny, then it is looked upon as the right style of government that would eradicate or lessen poverty.
Read more...


Building a relationship with your child

Parents sometimes fail to recognize that building a good and strong bond with their children does not come in a silver platter. They will have to work hard for it.

My greatest fear when I started rearing my children was the fear that they could not trust me with their growing-up "secrets". I have watched families which were destroyed by the lack of close bonding between parent and child. The child turned to drugs, etc to find that sense of "closeness" and "belongingness" which he/she could not find at home.
Read more...


Reflections: How can child labor be eradicated?

"When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become." A quotation by: Louis Pasteur (Scientist)

Indeed our children are the future of the world. If we take good care of our children then we are ensuring the bright future of the world as well.
Read more...


What does it take to make poverty an important news story?

Poverty is like a bad, scary movie. It is not real, not until it happens to you.

Poverty in third world developing countries is astounding! Street children and homeless people are increasing in number day by day. We catch a glimpse of almost naked children plying the streets for food and for shelter. Sometimes they even resort to drastic means to satiate their hunger pangs. Child prostitution and sex slaves are usually because of poverty. But do we truly care? We read about them, sometimes watch these stories on TV; but does the story make the front pages? Do we do something to help these people?

How many of us would stop by and help a person in dire need?
Read more...

RECENT ARTICLES TO PROVE THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF TV VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN

If you're still unconvinced about TV violence causing aggressive behavior in children, do read these different articles from individuals who opted to express the glaring truth about TV violence.
This is from: Violence on TV: The Desensitizing of America
Written By Kevin Szaflik


"Media violence can affect any child from any family," regardless of social class or parenting."
This is from Cyber College. Com
TV and Film Violence

Photo by tempophage

"Violence on television affects children negatively, according to psychological research."
This is from Abelard.Org
Children and Television Violence




"CHILDREN exposed to violence in films, on television, in video games and on the internet are at significant risk of displaying aggressive or fearful behaviour, research suggests."
This is from Times Online
Study Links Violence on TV to Child Aggression
Written By Sam Lister, Health Correspondent

THE IDIOT BOX AND HOW TO STOP IT FROM MAKING YOUR KIDS LIKE IT IS

By: Ma. Teresa Baniaga of Hot Momma

Photo by brandi666

One of the not-so-flattering but absolutely apt nickname of the television is “idiot box.” I am not exactly sure why but I can think of several reasons. Foremost in my mind is the fact that it creates idiots out of its viewers – particularly the impressionable young ones.

It is almost unbelievable how much influence that box has on the minds of children today. It has almost become their entire reality, totally erasing the real world from their consciousness.


Come to think of it, children are already watching TV long before they go to school. Nowadays, their first exposure to technology, science or the arts is usually through what they see on television.

But that is not all. Along with the stuff they are exposed to on a daily basis sitting motionless infront of the television, come all sorts of rubbish and scum – violence, sex and materialism.

The effects of TV is dangerous because if kids start watching violent or unsafe stuff from a very young age, the concepts they learn are imbibed at a subliminal level – very hard to unlearn and refute because it is already part of their psyche.

In the earlier days of TV ads, not a lot of advertisements are directly aimed at kids. Now, they have changed the rules of the game. Advertisements are already crafted with young kids in mind as their target audience. Since kids do not have purchasing power on their own, this is synonymous to saying: “Tell your mom and dad to buy this for you. You need this and you’ve got to have it” If that does not help raise a breed of manipulative and materialistic young ones, I don’t know what will.

What is more unbelievable is how majority of parents and child carers rely on TV to baby-sit their wards and charges and how they actually consider it harmless. C’mon, if you are really honest, you will admit to being guilty of this at least once in your life. How many times have we coaxed our kids to stay at home and just “watch TV” when we have somewhere important to go? Or banish them to the family room with the TV on as we entertain our friends in the other reception room? Or, allow them to turn on the TV the moment they get out of bed because it’s the weekend, anyway?


I am not being unrealistic here. Of course, TV is here to stay and it would not be normal to totally deprive our kids of the opportunities to learn from the informative, educational and healthy stuff shown on TV. By all means, they should be exposed because one way or the other, TV will intrude into their lives somehow, anyway.

But we should handle the matter of TV viewing as carefully as we deliberate upon or ponder on the next big investment we are going to make. As parents, let us not take for granted that TV is normally part of life. In the olden days, it wasn’t and they got by fine. At present, there is always that big influence of TV on our kids, but we must do our part to make the experience of it more rewarding and less damaging on the kids.


What I mean is, we should take to heart what kids’ TV shows show on the corner of the screen: Parental Guidance. We must make sure that there are guidelines to follow and boundaries they cannot cross if they are to enjoy TV. More often than not, making the rules clear will reduce the confusion more than inspire spirited protests in the household.

Laying the ground rules is just half of the battle won – imposing the rules without fail will get you the results you need. Include in the rules the list of TV shows they can watch and the definite no-no’s that they should not even consider watching. Making them aware of the dangers of TV in the long run will make them realize that the whole thing is all about their own protection.

Designate a place in the house for TV viewing and avoid putting a set in kids’ bedrooms. It is more difficult to police the stuff they watch and the hours they spend watching if you do that. The high energy costs should also be one reason for you not to do it.

Last but not least, as much as possible, sit down with the kids during their TV viewing. When a questionable scene comes up, you can readily explain things to them or warn them about the dangers of imitating the words or actions they have just heard or seen.

TV is a powerful tool for communication but it can be seriously damaging to our kids. Getting the most out of it involves your vigilance and tireless policing. Why should you entrust your kids to an idiot, much less an idiot box?


About the Author

I am delighted to have as my Guest Blogger Ma. Teresa Baniaga of HotMomma and Pinoy Around the World . Mathe is a freelance writer who plans to compile in one book the adventures of Filipinos all around the globe.

In her two blogs, she discusses a variety of interesting topics.
She writes fluently and garnishes her articles with a lot of personal, profound insights that could only come from someone who writes with a heart.

Here is an excerpt about her from Ezine Articles, - a popular website for gifted writers;

"She writes articles about parenthood, raising kids, cooking, healthy living, home management, relationships and just about anything that catches her fancy. This author also writes web content and online articles for her clients. "

Need I say more?

Thanks Mathe for this wonderful opportunity.

BE A PART OF THIS NOBLE ENDEAVOUR

Photo by FreeWine

Books are treasure troves.

Almost all successful and famous persons I know have been "wide readers".

I have always wanted to share inspiring stories with readers.

It is a dream I know I have to fulfill in this lifetime, or I'll never rest in peace in the other realm.

This book project I will be embarking on would be entitled : "Inspirational Thoughts and Stories from Bloggers All Over the World."

The projected time of completion and publication of the book would be 1 year.

If you have an inspiring article, story or poem that you know could brighten up someone's day or that could enlighten and give hope to people, send them and earn 5,000 ENTRECARD CREDITS.

These are the criteria:

1. The contributor must be an Entrecarder.

2. It must be original and never been published.

3. The length of the article or story should not be less than 1,000 words.

4. If it is a poem, it should not be less than 15 lines.

5. If contribution is accepted, one (1 ) complimentary copy of the book where your article will be featured, will be sent to you (free of any charge ) as soon as publication is completed.

6. As the blog's owner, I will screen and select entries for inclusion in the book. You will be notified through your EC dashboard if your contribution has been accepted or not.

7. You can send up to three entries in any of the categories.



6. For any question, feel free to send a message throught my EC widget/dashboard.
( Gewgaw Writings) or leave a comment in this post.

SEND YOUR ARTICLE NOW, AND BE A PART OF THIS NOBLE ENDEAVOUR TO INSPIRE THE WORLD WITH YOUR WORDS!!!

I AM HIGHLY HONORED TO PRESENT MY...

This site was solely dedicated to the campaign in protecting our children from violence on TV.

If you notice, there are no ads, nor indication that the site's purpose is for financial gain.

I did this to ensure supporters that my desire is genuine and not for any personal gain.

I want to achieve my goal of letting people know of the danger of TV violence and the risk it poses on our children and therefore, on the future of the world they will be living in.

You might probably say, write directly to these TV stations and let them know of your sentiments.

Well, I did that!

I wrote twice to the TV stations and then twice to leading newspapers, but it seems the desire for fame and fortune is stronger to them than their worries about what would happen 10 or 20 years after.

I also made it a point to post only related articles for the campaign and so far, I was able to maintain this rule.

The past week; however, this site has been recommended by Ruby of Pinay Mommy Online as one of the 10 top emerging blogs and I am honored that this blog has caught her attention as Mommy Ruby (known to many) happens to be a "known" figure in the blogging world of making money on line. Ruby is a WAHM who expertly maintains 4 dynamic blogs that speak of her zest for life and burning desire to be a great blogger and a wonderful provider to her chidren.

Thanks Ruby for the honor.

I take this post as an exception (to every rule there is always an exception ), as I believe that writing about the recommendation of this blog for the Top Emerging blogs would further make people aware of its existence and therefore, of my campaign.

The criteria for the recommendation are simple:

1. Any blog which started from July 1, 2007 to the present and that is gaining substantial readership and has influenced others. Anonymous people are not allowed.

2. Any blog around the world could be nominated.

3. A cash prize will be awarded by The Influential Blogger who will be giving away $100 (in US each) to the top 10 with the best entry on their Top 10 nominations.

So without further ado, these are My TOP 10 EMERGING BLOGS:

1. Pinay Mommy Online -by Mommy Ruby. This is one blog that - definitely - every money making blog should watch out for. It grows by leaps and bounds and I guess- so does the earnings. You would be surprise to know however; that in spite of the Blog's continuous "quest" for money, Ruby is a WAHM, who is sincere, helpful and generous - not only to her family - but to other bloggers as well. Her site has gained readers and is still attracting bloggers from all over the world for its truly tested "money making ventures" which Ruby herself attests as to the credibility and genuineness of the affiliates and recommended sites.

2. The Esoterical Journey by Ray Gratzner is a blog I'm sure would emerge from its cocoon sooner than expected. Ray openly admits that his posts are translated from its German version and that he would appreciate any suggestions from readers. I call him The Philosopher as his topics are about life and the intricacies that go with it. He talks about these intricacies however in very simple terms that I sometimes, marvel at how "blind" I had been to these wonderful facts of life. If the reader gets to "understand" the messages he wanted to impart then very valuable lessons in life could be gleaned from his posts.

3. Ken Armstrong Writing Stuff - By Ken Armstrong is a blog I would always consider as one of my tops. If you haven't heard of the first Comment Bomb then, you're not an entrecarder. The fact that he was selected by Graham himself as the first blog to recieve the Comment Bomb is enough proof that he deserves to be in this spot. But let me state why I personally recommend his blog. I still have to read a blog that could equal Ken's down to earth, captivating, witty and humorous writing style. His stories are raindrops in a hot sultry day. Most of his posts are simple, true to life personal -sometimes embarrassing stories- that he recounts with such finesse and aplomb that one does not feel offended. Visit his blog and learn what I'm talking about.

4. The Big Picture - by Tasha is an emerging writing blog that is attracting readers slowly but surely. Tasha always wanted to write but she keeps putting it off because of the fear of not being able to meet the challenges that writing offers. She had started to write a few chapters of a romance novel when she came to know about blogging. She took this great opportunity to share her passion for writing. Amidst her busy schedule, she manages to write- little by little - the chapters of her novel. At first, I was the only one reading her heartwarming romantic novel but as days went on, there were more and more readers who found her story compelling and came back for more. I am overjoyed to know that her blog is slowly becoming known in the blogging community and emerging as one of those blogs to watch out for. Good luck Tasha.

5. Pinoy Around the World - by Mathe is a personal blog of a WAHM in London. There is a nostalgic and poignant touch to her stories as I can relate to them like many bloggers around the world. The writer approaches her topic very simply but with the quiddity of what should really be considered significant in this lifetime. She has a dream of publishing a book about the adventures and misadventures of Filipinos in a foreign land and although this topic is specific, I'm sure many around the globe can relate to a person's attempt to succeed in a place away from "home". I'm certain Mathe will eventually publish her book.

6. The Spitting Vessel - by Durano is one blog I always wanted to recommend. The author writes about anything and everything under the sun and he does it smoothly and fluently - like a whispering breeze. His readers come from different parts of the globe because of the interesting varied topics that he posts. He also does it with flair and audacity notwithstanding the controversy his post might spark from among his readers. The style in which he writes a controversial piece does not inspire embarrassment, indifference or discrimination though, but promotes a healthy debate among its readers.

7. Humane Blogging Tips - by Guardian Angel is a blog about blogging and blogging resources. I believe it to be a top emerging blog because I can see his readers increasing in number because of the useful pointers and tips he writes about blogging. His posts are very organized and the topics are presented in an easy to follow format which makes readers easily understand. If you want to know about how to let "droppers" read your post, visit his site and learn how to do it. Incidentally he has also another blog

8. Happy Family Matters - which is about responisble parenting with vital tips on how to properly raise your children. This is the first blog I have read that dealt with this very important topic-the family.

9. The Ruminations of a Small Town Mountain Boy - by Eric is a blog which I have discovered recently. I believe it to be a top emerging blog as the author writes about topics which are close to anyone's heart. His site also features other blogs which he came across the blogosphere thereby demonstrating his generousity and good heart. He writes well and does it with a touch of class. The mountain boy has great talent. His readers are increasing in number and will continue to do so as he writes wholewheartedly about his personal experiences.

10. The Struggling Blogger by Roy is one blog I just read last week. I had dropped on it the earlier days but I seldom stop to read his posts. One entry however caught my eye and that was the article about TV ads which he allowed me to post too in this blog. I discovered that he had several blogs, about life, love, inspiration and other significant topics. His Letters to Mama blog tugged at my heartstrings for this blog is a witness to his courage, as a man who have learned to accept his beloved's departure from this mundane existence. His "The Struggling Blogger " blog is well organized, well optmized and well written too. Roy, I wish you all the best in your future ventures. I'm certain your blog will emerge as one of the top blogs because of your sincere motivation and aspiration to share what you have with those in the blogosphere.

I was informed by Influential Blogger that the blogs should have been created after July 2007 so one of my entries will not be qualified because of this; but I'll include it here anyway.
Caught In The Stream - by Francis Scudellari is a writing blog that is gaining popularity day by day. Readers come from a wide array of categories, all converging in his blog marvelling at the works of art, poems and stories that he posts. He has a particular, brilliant style that puts him ahead of his contemporaries - a style that converts a simple thing to a truly amazing artwork that could speak volumes to each type of reader who is "touched" by it. He is a poet, a painter and a writer, all rolled into one, that's why I always refer to him as The Artist Extraordinaire.

These are my top emerging blogs. I have great faith in their ability to be tops in their own blogging genre and I firmly proclaim these blogs as the TOP EMERGING INFLUENTIAL BLOGS to watch out for !

How Safe Are Our Kids From TV Commercials?

Posted by: Roy in Reflections, TV, outlet, thought & opinions, tags: ads, advertisement, child, children, cigarette, commercial, condom, dilemma, donut, health, ice cream, kids, milk, morale, safe, selfishness, television, TV, values

We see a mother giving her son a dozen donuts in a box, and told him to share it to his playmates. The boy then counted all his friends who are busy looking for a place to hide as they were playing hide-and-seek with the boy being the it. As they show his playmates one by one, hearing the boy’s voice on the background… coincidentally, there were twelve of them, including the boy!

Quickly he called all his playmates from hiding and announced that he has donuts to share. When they approached him, the camera showed all eleven donuts gone and just one remaining which was divided into 12 pieces. It seems the boy have consumed all eleven pieces and have left just one piece to share with his friends. Cute… or is it? I say it is an obvious display of greed and selfishness.

Next we see a young boy merely out of his toddler years, seemingly strong enough to pull the bedsheet off the bed and dropping both his parents on the floor. Then he is shown lying down on the bed comfortably… having the whole space all to himself. Is that cute or a blatant show of disrespect?

And what about the taglines “For Kids Only"… showing in the ads that kids should not share to adults. And is it really right to promote ‘Lampayatot‘ (weakling and thin) in the television? How safe really are today’s TV commercials for our kids? To think that I have only mentioned those featuring kids in the commercial itself. I have yet to tackle on those which show adults delivering various unchild-friendly messages.

Somebody is sleeping on his or her job. That’s all I can think of. Television, being the cheapest form of entertainment has access to young kids whose minds are like sponge and absorbed everything that they can see or hear.

I am not a moralist nor am I a holier-than-thou-soul, but do we really need a bikini-clad lady eating an ice cream for a commercial? And the discussion on the flavor of condom to be purchased, like they were just buying candy. And with a great cigarette, you can get the women that you like!

Alcoholism is also such a big issue, as children are made to believe that it is what bonds friends, and is a great reward for a hard day’s work. Clearly, there are more and more TV commercials being shown today without regards to value whatsoever. And unfortunately, they have access to our children’s attention.

So how safe really, are our kids from today TV commercials?

This entry was posted by Roy of The Struggling Blogger. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Roy of The Struggling Blogger is a blogger with a number of varied interests.

His 6 blogs speak of joy, sadness, inspiration, nostalgia and many more.

Visit his blogs below and come to know more about the man behind these cool blogs.

REFLECTIONS
Be Inspired Now!
Subukan Taya Ing Kapampangan!
The House Of Puroy Enterprises
Letters To Mama
Sugar Coated World

NON - VIOLENCE ON TV

By: Kathleen Milazzo

There is no doubt in my mind that children should not be exposed to violence on TV or anywhere for that matter.

The sad fact is, violence is a part of human nature and society and appears in the news, TV shows, and movies. Even music videos are not exempt. Impressionable teens and younger children are very much affected by seeing this violence.

Photo by: Jeff Sandquist


I can remember when I was younger, sneaking by my parents room to watch a movie they were watching on the TV. It was a murder mystery and I remember one scene where someone was killed in an elevator and when the doors of the elevator closed the blood from the victim poured out.

I not only had nightmares that night but I couldn't get that image out of my head for two or three weeks. I was afraid to sleep and even afraid to close my eyes for bed. I stopped sneaking by their door after that.

Parents have to be vigilant about knowing and monitoring what their kids see on the TV because everyone knows that as long as something is getting high ratings, it will not be taken off the air.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

KATHLEEN MILAZZO OF TYPED RIGHT and 9 other blogs.
is a "Certified Activity Director and worked as such at Lexington of Chicago Ridge, and Oak Lawn Nursing Home".

She has written numerous articles for several web sites that included a variety of topics on web pages, reviews for retail stores, and even wrote educational trivia for Microsoft among others.

For more of her impressive qualifications - read here. Visit her blogs too and be amazed at her expertise in almost all topics!

TV VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN

By: JANICE WATSON

I remember when our children came along, our house suddenly became like Fort Knox, a hive of gadgets were rapidly purchased to prevent doors from slamming on tiny fingers, to keep cupboards firmly shut to make sure that household chemicals were safely out of the way, along with any other pills and potions that would hurt them.
But there are other things we have to protect children from which are just as dangerous, I’m talking about TV.

We tell our children about stranger danger, to stay away from people they don’t know and we would never consider inviting a stranger into our homes without checking them out first, your TV in this case is the stranger.

If we allow kid’s to watch TV unsupervised, without thinking about it’s long-term effects upon them It’s little wonder that violence is increasing. We can’t wrap them in cotton wool of course, but by choosing carefully what we allow them to watch we give them higher standards and a better moral compass.

TV does have its good points, there are the educational programmes for example just be aware what they are being educated about.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JANICE WATSON OF MIDLIFE MISFIT (A RECORD OF MY HORMONAL SHENANIGANS AND MIDLIFE OBSERVATIONS.)
Janice, is a middle-aged woman, but "dripping with hormones"(according to her). She has a zest to write about a wide range of topics. She writes about heaven, fathers, animals , flour etc. (see how varied her topics are?) She discusses her topic simply, but very well.

She says and I quote :

"If you are a man who has accidentally stumbled upon this hornets nest
of "women's speak" . . . may the force be with you. "

Unquote.

Thanks, Janice for supporting the campaign. More power to you.

UNDERSTANDING THE BAD EFFECTS OF TELEVISION ON OUR CHILDREN

Just like any other invention, television was created to be useful to mankind. It gives us immediate information and a good form of entertainment especially for our children.

This prevents them from leaving the house which makes them safer. Not to mention that it still does not cost much. Nothing can take its place even now that we are in the computer age.

But television has also its negative effects on our children.

Here are some of them that we as responsible parents should be aware of:

Laziness in school

This is not a surprise to me if your child is a TV addict How to avoid your Child to be a TV Addict. Although he might be going to school regularly, his mind is full of thoughts about his favorite show that is not really suited for him.

He will start to loose his interest in his studies which will eventually lead to laziness. He will spend more hours in front of the TV rather than reviewing his notes. His excitement in going to school will be replaced by the enjoyment he is getting from these shows.

You must teach your child how to balance his time well.

Negative behavior

There are other possible behavior changes other than lost of interest in school. Being violent is another major negative effect. This is because violence is also present in some cartoon and superhero type of shows.

For a young boy, imitating a superhero is nothing but normal. But it differs when he does the action. Superhero in cartoon shows are now different, not only in their attire or appearance but also in the weapons that they use.

Showing disrespect and early awareness of sex can also manifest in our child. This is because of the language and romantic scenes that are not being regulated properly.

Neglect of Health

Watching TV can also make your child lose his appetite in his food. That is why you should not watch while eating. It will divert his focus - and worst of all; your child may skip his meals.

Since your child is spending long hours in front of the TV, exercise will also be taken for granted. His time in running, walking and other daily physical activities will be reduced. In addition, he will not get enough sleep if we will not limit his watching time. Since we are working the whole day, we might not notice that we are neglecting the health of our child.

There may be other bad influences our child can absorb from watching television, but one thing is for sure we must control them.

Stricter rules for television shows should be implemented by the government but show producers and the TV industry should cooperate.

We as parents have also a major responsibility. We should be the first ones to take full control of our children. We can only do this if we give extra care to them by monitoring their daily activities very closely.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guardian Angel of- Happy Family Matters is a Filipino engineer who found himself more comfortable in writing letters instead of numbers; and interacting with humans rather than machines. He maintains two very succesful blogs and does well with both of them.

For more effective parenting tips, successful marriage tips and other family issues, please feel free to visit his blog at Happy Family Matters , and for successful blogging and blogging tips read his very informative posts at Humane Blogging Tips.

The Effects of Media Violence on Children

Image from : The Effects of Media Violence on Children

THIS ARTICLE EXPLAINS VERY CLEARLY HOW VIOLENCE CAN AFFECT CHILDREN. DO VISIT THE SITE AND READ THE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES THE AUTHOR HAD RAISED.

A Campaign For Nonviolence On Television

By: Mel Avila Alarilla

Children are vulnerable to what they see on television. Since they are in their formative years, whatever they see and learn from television, become a foundation in their lives.

Good or bad, they affect the future behavior of the children. Sex and violence must be banned on television for they leave seeds of evil in the young minds of our kids. How many times have we seen or heard massacres being perpetrated by youngsters at their school campuses because of the culture of violence that was inculcated in their minds when they were still young and vulnerable.


Photo by: Bogdan Suditu

Television must instead be a main source of educational, moral and motivational medium to develop and nurture kids to be peace loving and law abiding citizens of their countries. They should bring back TV shows like Sesame Street and the Muppet Show to give kids, not only entertainment but also, lessons in character formation and values.

Let us all become united in our efforts to force a ban on sex and violence on television and bring back the glory days of television as a medium for developing citizens who are good, honest and law abiding.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mel Avila Alarilla of Random Thoughts- International Blog is a multi-blogger. He successfully maintains 6 blogs!! He is a Christian who has the zest to write, read and share his dynamic ideas and beautiful thoughts about life, love, trivia, spirituality and just about anything under the sun.

Mel thank you for taking time out from your blogs, to write this admirable article for my campaign.

More power to you!

You can visit Mel in his following blogs below:

Reflections - A Christian Blog

Random Thoughts (International Blog)

World United Bloggers

Points of View (Discussion Blog)

Literati - An Artistic Blog

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short and Simple

TV VIOLENCE AND YOUR CHILDREN

By: Tony Fowler

I remember the days when the violence controversy on TV was Wiley Coyote getting blown-up, flattened and buried over and over again as he unsuccessfully tried to make the Roadrunner his dinner.

Surprisingly enough, I have heard people use violence on cartoons as a reason to downplay the current violence on TV. It's crazy, but we'll use illogical arguments if they help relieve our own conscience.

So what is the big deal about violence on TV? It's just make-believe. Most kids know it is all make-believe. Sure there are rare examples of kids copying the violence they see and hurting other people.

Photographer: Ian Britton, Freetfoto.com

However, a case could be made that those troubled kids would have acted violently with or without exposure to violence on TV.

I'm not a psychologist. If you want psychological proof, there are plenty of studies that show that violence on TV negatively affects our children.

However, I am a parent and common sense tells me there is a problem with the level of violence on TV today.

Our brains take pictures of everything we see. Once we see it, it's there forever. We may forget it way back in our subconscious but its there. Remember the horror movies you've seen. Close your eyes and picture the violent scenes. Does that bring back happy memories? Are those the thoughts you want prancing through your head as you go to sleep tonight?

The problem is that the violence on TV does much more than leave your child with scary pictures and nightmares. It makes your child immune to the tragedy of violence, which leads to the loss of compassion for the real violence in this world. If I'm not a psychologist, how do I know this? Because it happened to me.

Growing up I watched just about anything I wanted. Violence on the news was just as artificial to me as violence on my favorite TV shows. My heart did not break when I saw tragedy around me. It was as surreal as prime-time TV.

A couple of years ago we made a decision to not have any TV (cable, satellite or network) in our house. You can kid yourself as a parent but the truth is that if you have cable TV, your kids are going to watch shows you do not want them to watch.

My wife and I have noticed now that we are much more sensitive to tragedy in the news and the plight of those in our world not sheltered like we are in suburbia. Our heart breaks more for those in need. Real life has become more real.

This is what TV can steal from your children. Not just with violence but with sex and off-color humor as well. If your children are immersed in pseudo life-like make believe, they'll lose their heart to care for reality.

Let's not fill our children's minds with what is violent and hurtful. Let's fill our children's minds with what is true, honorable, just, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

About the author:

Tony Fowler of Seeking Things Above, works as an executive in a large computer company. He is married to a wonderful woman and has 4 "awesome kids".

I was enchanted of how he described himself so I decided to copy an excerpt instead of his "about me" page from his blog:

Start of excerpt:

"Now you know everything you need, right?



Let me dig a little deeper and see if I can stretch my machismo a bit and give you little more. After all, on most of these blog pages I’m bearing my soul; why not provide a little more insight on the famous “About Me” page.

My name is Tony but then I already told you that. I’m an executive of a large private computer company. I don’t do any programming (hence the struggles with finding a good blog template and no clue how to get Google to see my blog) but I do get to help think of really cool stuff for our programmers to work on.

I try to make God the priority in my life. I often fail miserably at this but I pick myself up and keep on seeking. I have a beautiful wife and I don’t mind if I told you that twice now. We’re going on 12 years of marriage and I love her more each year. She’s a great Christian sister as well and we work to keep each other accountable.

Our kids are all less than two years apart in age. Three of them are home-schooled with the fourth ready to start next year. I don’t know if we will home-school all the way through high school for each of them. We’ll be counting on God to guide us on this as we go.

I’m an Aggie (Texas A&M former student for those of you outside of this great state). This means I love Aggie football which means I usually have my share of heartaches each fall. However, each year I bounce back ready to give it another go.

I’ve felt called to write biblical social commentaries on the net since the internet first became popular. However, until the advent and popularity of blogging and social networking I never had the time or technical know-how to make it happen."

I don’t know if God will use my blogs to touch anyone. However, that’s not my concern to worry about. I’ll just blog and let God take care of the rest."

End of excerpt:

Well said Tony, I am highly appreciative of Tony 's desire to contribute his article to this blog.

People like him are gems on the face of the earth. Men who deeply care about others and who have a burning desire to spread the good word. May your tribe increase, Tony!

Accept my heartfelt gratitude.

Write an Article About How TV Violence Can Affect Children and Earn 1,000 EC Credits

MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO WRITE AN ORIGINAL ARTICLE ABOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TV VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN AND EARN AN EASY 1,000 ENTRECARD CREDITS.


This is NOT a contest , all submissions will be accepted and awarded 1,000 EC credits EACH.

THE CRITERIA ARE:

1. You must be an Entrecarder.

2. The article must be original, if you use quotations from other authors, you must acknowledge your sources.

3. The topic must talk about the negative effects of TV violence on children.

4. It maybe a poem, an essay, a short story, or a personal experience.

5. Drawings will be accepted too, but there should be a brief explanation of what the picture portrays.

JOIN NOW!
Let's makes the world a safer place for our children, and our children's children.

If you want to send an entry, send a message to my EC card and I will get back to you; or just leave a comment IN THIS POST and I will send my email through your EC dashboard.

Thank you.

LEARN WHY TV HAS MORE SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS THAN MOVIES.

Based on a study edited by C. Kay Weaver and Cynthia Carter, “ An American child is born into a home in which television is on average of more than 7 hours a day. For the first time in human history, most of the stories about people, life, and values are told not by parents, schools, churches, or others in the community who have something to tell, but by a group of distant conglomerates that have something to sell. ” . This statistic is derived from an American study, nevertheless; it reflects also the viewing culture of children around the world, including the Philippines..

If this is the case, then it has more influence than movies and books. The growing child is exposed to this medium more than 7 hours a day - day in and day out, and while it is true that parents could supervise their children’s proper TV viewing, oftentimes parents fail in this endeavor due to several reasons.

One of the main reasons is poverty. One of the most common forms of entertainment for poor families at home - is the TV. This is because it is relatively cheap to maintain. You spend only once when you buy it and then it takes minimal expenses for its long term use.

Sometimes, both uneducated parents scrounge for a living, and leave the eldest to take care of his/her siblings. The only desire of the eldest child would be to keep her siblings safe inside the house while she does the household chores, and TV is how she can do it. That is why a TV set is one of the most popular forms of entertainment for low income families. They would try all ways and means to at least buy a TV even if it’s the smallest screen. Even in families belonging to the upper economic strata, this scenario happens too under the household help’s indulgence.

In some cases, parents are at home, while the child is watching; but because they don’t consider the effects of TV violence significant, they just leave the child unsupervised, not aware that their child’s character formation is taking place, right then and there. Whether we accept it or not, we do oftentimes ignore to supervise the TV programs that our children watch.

The effects of watching violence day in and day out, (even from cartoons) may not be instant. The term Weaver used to portray this gradual formation is “cultivation”. “Television tends to cultivate and confirm stable conceptions about life.”

If the local TV industry continues to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to these issues, just to maintain their high TV ratings, then the country’s moral fiber will continue to deteriorate as years go by. The children who are watching television now will be the future citizens and leaders of our country. What will be inculcated in their growing minds - if rampant violence on TV continues to prevail - would be the notion that violence is the only solution to problems.

We may not live long enough to witness the chaos that violence causes in the lives of our children, grandchildren and our great grandchildren; but would we be happy to die knowing that we did not do anything to avert this future occurrence? That we were silent witnesses to the process which brought them there?

Let your voice be heard! Do not be among the silent majority!

Do sign my guest book to support my campaign!

I assure you, I won’t be asking for any donation or too personal information.

A PLEA TO YOU - BLOGGERS

Don't worry about your name being in the Guest Book. I can assure you it is impersonal and you will not be asked about and for anything. This is just to show that people around the globe share the same sentiments with me. Thanks for signing in.

I am reading a book right now entitled “Critical Readings: Violence and the Media” edited by Weaver and Carter (2006) and my belief about the effects of media - especially TV on children - have been all the more confirmed.

In one chapter, it talked about one study that was conducted involving 96 children (48 males, 48 females), just under 3- 5 years old. The purpose of the research was to determine the effects of viewing acts of aggression on children. The children were exposed to various types of violent behavior (physical and oral). The first group were shown a physically present person who was verbally and physically violent towards an inflated doll. The second group watched a 10-minute color- film on television demonstrating the same behavior. The third one viewed a cartoon show (complete with cartoon music) , in which a cat exhibited the same aggressive, violent behavior. The fourth group was not subjected to any of these and acted as the control group.

After the exposure, the children were then deliberately subjected to stress, by the removal of their toys and were then observed for any aggressive behavior.

It was discovered that “Exposure of humans on film portraying aggression was the most influential in eliciting and shaping behavior.” ( Weaver et al, 2006 p. 28)

What a very significant finding! Volumes and volumes of researches and studies have been conducted for years and years, and even recent findings , proved more so - that indeed- programs on TV portraying violent human behavior have a vital influence on children.

When will the bigwigs in the TV industry listen to this plea? A massive campaign should be launched to make people aware of this fact - especially those in the entertainment industry.

The quotation: “ Evil proliferates because good men do nothing,” can be applied in this case.. The repercussions may not be seen visibly in this generation but will definitely surface in the generations to come.
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This is a plea for your support. Help me in my campaign! Do sign the guest book!

THE VISION OF THE CHILDREN IS THE VISION OF THE WORLD

Rizal said "The youth is the future of the nation;" likewise it is said that the vision of the children is the vision of the world.

The first lessons and values children learn are usually those from their families, the people around them and the things that they see, hear and experience. Early childhood memories are those that make the most impact in a child's life. They come into this world "untainted", innocent and pure and their experiences make up what they become.

What they constantly hear and see will be construed as normal and extra effort should be done to surround them with a "good" environment.