 |
|
How can I prevent my child from being scared by media content? You can prevent your child from being scared by media content by being careful about what they see. This includes being careful about what you choose to watch since kids can be accidentally exposed to frightening scenes. You might also check with the parents of your children's friends to learn about what the rules for media use are in their houses and to discuss what is and is not appropriate for your child to see when visiting. Parents are also encouraged to use ratings and reviews of films or TV programs. Reviews that describe a program's content are most useful, as young children are sometimes scared by things that, to adults, don't seem scary at all. For example, G-rated movies, especially animated features, often contain scenes that are terrifying to young children. It may be difficult to predict what will scare a young child, but it is worth your time to try and figure out where obviously scary scenes may occur. Common Sense Media is a website where you can find media reviews for families. Joanne Cantor, a researcher whose work centers on fear responses to media, has written a book titled Mommy I’m Scared, which has suggestions on what you can do to protect your children from frightening media content. In her book, Dr. Cantor recommends that if you have a preschooler, you should avoid media with the following content, in particular: treacherous looking animals, “grotesque” characters, characters that make frightening or threatening sounds, or characters that transform into monsters. Finally, parents should limit all TV or movie viewing before bedtime and remove TV sets from children’s bedrooms to reduce the chance that children will have nightmares about scary media content.
What can I do if my child is scared by something he or she saw in the media? In her book, Dr. Cantor suggests that parents should respond differently to younger children’s fears than to older children’s fears. In particular, she recommends using non-verbal strategies with young children and verbal strategies with older children. The best way to alleviate young children’s fears is to physically comfort them by holding or sitting next to them. Another option is to provide them with a familiar attachment object, such as a favorite toy or blanket. Another way to respond to young children's fears is to desensitize them though gradual exposure to the feared object in a non-frightful context. For example, in one study, children became less afraid of a scary tarantula scene in a movie when they were first exposed to a plastic tarantula (see this study). Another effective way for young children to cope with scary media is to teach them to cover their eyes when they see something scary. Older children, however, respond best to verbal explanations, such as explaining that what they have seen is “not real”. It is also helpful for parents to explain that what they have seen is not likely to be dangerous to them. When children become afraid because of what they have seen or heard on the news, it is especially important that parents discuss those fears. It is important to acknowledge where real dangers exist, but parents should also reassure their children that they will always do everything possible to protect them. See more Tips for Parents |
|
|
|
