Just what are the effects of television on schoolchildren? The Smart Television Alliance (STA) proposes to go straight the people it thinks may have the most valid opinion on that matter – the educators who deal with children on a daily basis. STA is calling it the National Educator and Television Survey.
"We consistently receive anecdotal evidence from teachers about how inappropriate, indecent, and violent programming or too much television viewing by children plays out negatively in the classroom," said Susan Scanlan, Chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations and Co-Chair of the Smart Television Alliance. "We call on educators across the nation to share their views on this critical issue." STA encourages parents to guide their children’s viewing habits and to use available tools to control content.
"Television can be a powerful tool to educate, inspire and entertain children when we make smart choices," said Christopher Turman, Director of the Smart Television Alliance. "However, educators tell us that inappropriate television viewing at home can have disruptive implications at school, affecting the other children as well."
RBR/TVBR observation: It’s so easy to just blame TV. Sure, a troublesome child may have seen Wile E. Coyote get hit by an anvil – we want to know how many exemplary children saw the same event with no ill effects. And we want to know what other factors may be impacting the troublesome child – we suspect issues far more serious than television content – like poverty or parental neglect, to name just two for starters — are the more likely culprit.
