Resources
frequently asked questions

1) How can I know if a TV show is good for my child?
Since families and children are very different from one another, it is hard to establish clear and fast rules. And even if we could, it so much better for parents and caring adults to decide with their children what is appropriate and not appropriate viewing.

But all decisions should be based on the best evidence that we have. We know that too much television is not good.
We know that the children's programming on PBS Kids can be good, while other kinds are harmful.

Sometimes asking the right questions can be a start to answering whether a program is good for your child. Ask yourself these questions:
- Does it support their healthy development?
- Does it model a caring attitude toward others and positive problem-solving?
- Is the theme and content age-appropriate?
- Does it frighten or upset children?
- Are accidental injuries meant to be humorous?
- Is the humor based on putting others down?
- Do characters use foul language?
- Do the children frequently resort to sarcasm or disrespectful tones in conversation?
- Is poor grammar used for children to imitate?
- Are males and females portrayed in stereotypical ways or are traditional roles challenged (as in women doctors and male child care providers)
- Does the program reflect life as you and your child experience it?
- Are racial or ethnic stereotypes frequently in evidence or are they challenged (as in African American teachers, Latino lawyers)?
- How are older people portrayed? Always crabby or senile?

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to talk about television we watch and ask ourselves how it affects us.
- Does it make us angry, agitated, nervous, or exhausted?
- Does it make us happy, uplifted, or confident?
- How do we want to feel?
- Is it helping me to reach my goals?
- Is it doing any of this for our children?

2) Why is TV violence bad for children?
The research on effects of TV violence on children is extensive. It is probably the most examined topic in all of the research of the effects of television on children. In general, the research from both laboratory and survey finds the violence on television is related to aggressive behavior, but it seems not to effect certain children in certain environments.

The reasons for this are less clear but many researchers believe:
- that frequent exposure to television violence makes aggressive behavior more likely
- frequent exposure to television violence have a favorable attitude toward aggressive behavior
- frequent exposure to television violence desensitizes viewers to violence.

Still other research contradicts several widely-held myths:
- cartoon violence is obviously phony and thus not harmful. (In fact, cartoons produced the same level of aggression as filmed adults)
- if aggression is punished, children are less likely to be influenced by the portrayal of violence (In fact, children often have trouble distinguishing between good role models and bad role models.) or
- violent programming reduces aggressive behavior by providing a safe, vicarious outlet for aggression. (The vast majority of research supports the idea that television violence promotes aggression.)

Some (e.g., George Gerbner) argue that a key effect of violence on television is to make people more fearful, and to think that violent crime rates are higher than they actually are.

For a useful review of the research on television violence see Lowery, S., and M. DeFleur. 1995. Milestones in Mass Communication Research: Media Effects. 3rd edition (New York: Longman).

3) Can watching IPTV children's shows really help get my child ready for school?
The research is very clear that the PBS Kids shows do have a positive effect on children. or

Some of those effects, particularly for SESAME STREET and MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD, have been shown to positively influence standardized school readiness scores. School readiness is not just academic skills but also things like the ability to get along with others and healthy emotional development. Public television programs, including BARNEY & FRIENDS do address these as well.

However the research is clear, too, that the positive outcomes associated with PBS Kids programs are more likely to occur and occur in a stronger way when viewing is linked to books and related activities. See research citation by Suzanne McFarland for this finding about MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD ,and the research fact for this finding about BARNEY & FRIENDS .

To learn more about how to connect viewing with activities and books, check out the Learning Triangle.

4) Are you encouraging children to watch more TV? Don't they watch too much already?
Our approach is to encourage the effective and appropriate use of television.

We all know children watch too much television.
So we encourage the same limits as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Department of Education.

We also know that for years teachers and other educators have been saying "NO!" to television. And yet television has not decreased. We are advocating a new approach to excessive television:
1. Don't watch too much.
2. If you watch, watch good stuff (PBS KIDS).
3. If you watch, connect that experience to books and activities.

We advocate this approach in all our workshops as do other public television stations across the country. And the research from these workshops has shown that television viewing in households decreased while viewing of public television, reading to children has gone up, and co-viewing increased, and that Child Care providers who attended IPTV workshops were inclined to use the material and felt it positively influenced their relationship with children and the way they planned their day.

While there are many other ways besides television to help children get ready for school, there are unique strengths television offers to address this problem:

1. Television is a primary influence in the lives of children, and we must encourage its responsible use.
2. The broadcast of valuable children's programming on Iowa Public Television is a free and accessible service to all Iowans.
3. Television can be a useful and important alternative activity during child caregiving by parents or providers.
4. Television can expose people quickly and cheaply to new ideas.
5. Through training on how to use television effectively, Iowa Public Television will be teaching media literacy and a healthy way to watch television.