From:      Chris Enochs <ENOCHSC@gunet.georgetown.edu>
To:        A16.A16(kidstv)
Date:      9/13/95 12:57pm
Subject:   kids tv

     I'm often frustrated by simple solutions on "fixing" the
relationship between children and television.  The dynamic of
that relationship is affected by many factors ? some of which can
be monitored and controlled within a family, others can be as
powerful and unmanageable as corporate interests or religious
dogma. 
     What's often lost in the debate, I'm afraid, is any attempt
to find methods of educating children to be better television
viewers.  By that I mean providing them with the tools to
recognize quality and reward it with their viewership. Children
(and often their parents) are functionally illiterate in the
language of visual communication.  They don't understand the
language and methodology of the medium.     

     Where, as a society, we spend a great deal of time making
certain that our children are language literate - that they
understand the workings of written and spoken words, we don't
invest a comparable amount of effort insuring that our children
understand the workings of television. A children's book is
simple in concept: a writer creates the words and an illustrator
draws the pictures.  Kids understand that process. They often
mimic the process in play. What they don't understand is the
motivation behind the programming they watch on television. 
While they may mimic the Power Rangers, few would take the time
to understand how or why a program like that is made. If more
did, I'm confident that they would continue to build a standard
of quality leading them to search out  better programming.  
     I know that, in their hearts, children would rather be
learners than consumers.  If parents would simply ask their kids
why they like to watch certain shows and use the dialog to
forward their children's understanding of the medium, we would be
on our way to solving part of the problem.  
     The other parts of the problem are still daunting.  We need
programmers to create better, thought-provoking, inspiring,
entertaining programs for kids. We need to reward that
programming by encouraging our children to watch it.  We need to
know and understand what they are viewing, and view with them
whenever possible.  Finally, Nielsen family or no, we need to
stop watching what we don't approve, not through government
censorship, but  family by family.


Please send me your findings on this topic.  I'd be greatly
interested in what others have to contribute.

Chris Enochs
4653-B 28th Road South
Arlington, VA  22206