 Many parents are vigilant when it comes to monitoring the movies their kids watch and the video games they play. But now that coverage of the war in Iraq has redefined "reality television," how can parents best shield their children from the violent images?
The initial images of the war, while disturbing, were not personal. Early coverage included missiles and explosions in a far-off land, nothing too different from scenes featured in popular war movies. But, as the war intensifies, new reports are a putting names and faces on the American soldiers fighting overseas.
Most experts recommend that elementary school-age children tune in cartoons and tune out war coverage. Because they do not understand geography, a child may see the explosion of a building that looks familiar and believe that is happening down the block from them. "Children will develop fears and concerns that are out of proportion with reality," said Professor Betsy McAlister Groves of the Boston Medical Center. "Kids in the pre-teen years should have their television time limited, and don't let kids watch TV alone. Shielding older children from graphic war imagery is significantly more difficult, short of locking them in their bedrooms until the end of the war. Still, television should not be the primary way that kids learn about the war, Groves recommends; parents should mediate. (Agencies) | 许多家长十分注意孩子们看的电影或玩的电子游戏内容，生怕有过分的情节。然而，随着目前关于伊拉克战的报道铺天盖地，"记实电视"被赋予了新的定义。家长该怎样将孩子们的视线从暴力画面上移开呢？ 最初的战争报道虽然烦乱，但内容并不那么鲜活。每篇都提及导弹和发生在远方某处的爆炸，跟任何一部普通的战争电影没什么区别。然而，随着战争的进行，新的战争报道开始提到远征他乡的美国士兵的姓名甚至是脸孔。 大多数专家认为小学生应该多看些卡通电影，而不要看战争报道。 因为他们对地理不了解，所以当屏幕中爆炸的大楼看起来很熟悉，他们会认为那就发生在附近的街区。 波士顿医学中心的贝齐·麦卡利斯特·格罗夫斯教授说："孩子们（通过看战争报道）会产生恐惧和超乎实际的忧虑。" 他说："不满十岁的孩子看电视的时间应该受到限制，而且最好不要让他们单独看电视。" 而对于年龄稍大的孩子来说，家长想让他们不看电视似乎难度更大，总不能把他们关在自己的卧室直到战争结束吧。对此，格罗夫斯建议说，家长应该从中引导，尽量不要让电视成为孩子们了解战争的唯一途径。 （中国日报网站译） |
Updated: 2003-04-04 01:00
