TalkingtoYourKidsaboutTelevisionTVcansendpowerfulmessagestochildren.OneofthebestwaysforyoutominimizeanynegativeeffectsfromthesemessagesistoteachyourkidstothinkcriticallyaboutwhattheyseeonTV.HelpyourkidstounderstandthatTVisonlyaconstructionofrealityExplainhoweverythingtheyseeonTV(evennewsanddocumentaryprogramming)isarealitythathasbeencreatedbyproducers,directors,cinematographers,actors,editors,advertisersandothers—andtheybringtoittheirownpointsofview,biasesandcommercialinterests.AskyourkidswhatpointsofviewaremostoftenseenonTV(i.e.middleclass,male,westernsociety,etc.)?Whoseviewsarenotbeingheardandwhatculturesandlifestylesarenotbeingshown?Why?Explainhow,throughtheseomissions,televisioncanteachthatsomepeopleandideasaremoreimportantthanothers.TalkaboutwhetherTVcharacterslookandactlikerealpeopleDopeopleonTVlooklikepeopleinreallife?Whatarethedifferences?Howdotheyfeelaboutthelivestheyseeportrayedontelevision?DotheyenvysomeaspectsofthelivesofpeopleonTV?Aretheycontentwiththeirownlives?DotheywanttolooklikethepeopletheyseeonTV?Isthisrealistic?DokidsonTVactlikekidsdoinreallife?Shouldthey?Withyoungchildren,talkabout"make-believe"andthedifferencebetweenreallifeandTV.TalkwithchildrenaboutviolenceonTVTalkaboutthedifferenttypesofviolencetheyseeonTV:emotional(yelling,put-downs,name-calling)andphysical(threatening,bullying,hitting,shooting,stabbing).Explainthatwecanbehurtemotionally,justaswecanbehurtphysically.Yelling,put-downs,name-callingandthreatsarewhatkidsaremostlikelytoexperienceintheschoolyard.Emotionallyviolentactscanbeginacyclethatleadstophysicalviolence.Talkabouttheviolencetheyseeontheshowstheylike.Whyistheviolencethere?Doesitcontributetotheplotoftheshow?Dotheyfinditexciting?Scary?Why?HowdopeopleonTVhandleconflict?Isitappropriate?Aretherebetterwaystohandleconflictinreallife?Whataretherealconsequencesofviolence,andwhyaretheynotalwaysshownonTV?Howdokidsfeelabouttheportrayalofviolenteventsinthenews?ExplainwhatstereotypesareandtalkaboutthemTalkaboutstereotypicalportrayalsofchildrenandteensontelevision.Seeinginaccurateportraitsofthemselveswillhelpthemtounderstandtheconceptofstereotyping.Providesomeexamplesofstereotypicalrolesgiventomen,women,children,ethnicminorities,theelderly,thedisabledandothers.AskyourkidstolookforthesestereotypesintheTVshowstheywatch.Discussthenegativeimpactofstereotypingbyexaminingthedifferencesbetweentheirperceptionsofrealpeople,andstereotypesshownontelevision.Forexample,negativeportrayalsofyoungpeopleaffectnotonlyhowadultsseeteenagers,butalsohowteenagersseethemselves.(FormoreinformationonyouthstereotypingseetheMediaToolkitforYouth.)HelpkidsunderstandthatcommercialTVisabusiness—anditsjobistosellviewerstoadvertisersTalkaboutthetelevisionbusiness:producerssellprogramstonetworks,networksselltimetoadvertisers,andadvertiserssellproductstoviewers.Explainthatinformationaboutwhichaudienceswilllikelywatchwhichprogramsissoldtoadvertisers,whothentailortheiradstoappealtothosespecificviewers.Explainthatadvertisingdoesn'tjustencourageustobuy,itteachesustobuy.Whatarecommercialsreallyselling?Aproduct?Afeeling?Alifestyle?Askkidsiftheybelieveeverythingtheadssay.Cantheproductactuallydowhattheadpromises?Whataresomeofthetricksusedincommercialstosellproducts?Talkaboutthekindsofcommercialsairedduringtheshowstheyliketowatch.Pointoutthatmanyofthemareforfastfood,candyandpre-sweetenedcereals.Watchforcommercialswithadultcontentthatairwhenkidswillbewatching,suchasbeercommercialsduringTheSimpsonsandtrailersforrestrictedfilmsduringafter-schoolshows.Aremarketersdeliberatelytargetingkidswiththeseads?Ifso,why?ExplainthatwhenaproductappearsinaTVshow,it'snotaccidental.Thisiscalled"productplacement"anditisanincreasinglypopularrevenue-generatingdevicefortelevisionproducers.Lookforexamplesofproductplacementintheprogramsyourkidswatch.