Have
you ever considered:
How
TV affects behavior?
As
a parent, how concerned you should be about television viewing?
How
you can have down time without television?
That
you don't have to entertain your children when the TV is off?
The impact of commercials on
your family?
Some
concrete ways that you can limit television at home?
These are typical
of the range of questions and concerns voiced at the start of Television
Project workshops. Some parents come to the workshop already concerned
about television use in their homes. Other parents come with vague uneasiness
about television use. All parents who attend are looking for answers
that will help them do the right thing for their children.
In our workshops,
participants are challenged to find their own answers to their questions.
A balance is struck among workshop exercises, presentations, and discussion.
Each workshop is tailored to the specific needs of the group sponsoring
it.
Workshop
Exercises
Activities can cover
a wide range of topics. Here are some examples:
Self-assessment
of TV viewing habits: This exercise yields data on the quantity and
quality of viewing at home.
Activities
in a home: This exercise shows participants the wide range of home activities
that are often neglected or forgotten when television is the primary
activity.
Naming
positive parent figures on television: This exercise leads to a discussion
of what children watch and how it influences their perceptions of the
people in their lives.
Presentations
Interspersed with activities are presentations for the group as a whole.
All workshops start with an overview of the statistics on television
usage. For many, just seeing these statistics is revelatory. Other presentation
topics might include:
How
the brain develops
How
television increases aggression in children -- mimicking violent shows
is only part of the story
The
role of television in creating stress
Nurturing
the soul of children
A
spirit of inquiry and exploration is maintained throughout the workshop
Alternative
Activities/Strategies for Controlling TV
Every workshop includes a discussion that creates alternatives to television
use and develops strategies for controlling TV use in the home. Discussion
topics might include:
Physical
location: Where the television is located and how this influences how
it is used.
The
Witching Hour: What to do, instead of TV, when it is time to cook dinner
and the children are whining.
Getting
Help: Encouraging children to participate in household tasks because
they like it.
Building
Community: Developing a social network in the neighborhood.
A
Lasting Impact
Television Project
workshops change participant perceptions of television and its effect
on the family. They say:
Your
presentation gave our professionals new insights and intervention strategies
that they can use immediately with the families they serve.
The
workshop will have a lasting impact on our members, including a reaffirmation
of what we value as parents, a new awareness of the pervasiveness and
persuasiveness of the medium, and a commitment to follow through with
our individual goals to monitor the use of television in our homes more
closely.
A typical workshop
is two to three hours long and can include as few as 8 to as many as
50 people. If would like to arrange a workshop for your organization,
school, work place, or church group, please contact
us at The Television Project.
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