 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) | 許多家長十分注意孩子們看的電影或玩的電子游戲內容，生怕有過分的情節。然而，隨著目前關于伊拉克戰的報道鋪天蓋地，"記實電視"被賦予了新的定義。家長該怎樣將孩子們的視線從暴力畫面上移開呢？ 最初的戰爭報道雖然煩亂，但內容并不那么鮮活。每篇都提及導彈和發生在遠方某處的爆炸，跟任何一部普通的戰爭電影沒什么區別。然而，隨著戰爭的進行，新的戰爭報道開始提到遠征他鄉的美國士兵的姓名甚至是臉孔。 大多數專家認為小學生應該多看些卡通電影，而不要看戰爭報道。 因為他們對地理不了解，所以當屏幕中爆炸的大樓看起來很熟悉，他們會認為那就發生在附近的街區。 波士頓醫學中心的貝齊·麥卡利斯特·格羅夫斯教授說："孩子們（通過看戰爭報道）會產生恐懼和超乎實際的憂慮。" 他說："不滿十歲的孩子看電視的時間應該受到限制，而且最好不要讓他們單獨看電視。" 而對于年齡稍大的孩子來說，家長想讓他們不看電視似乎難度更大，總不能把他們關在自己的臥室直到戰爭結束吧。對此，格羅夫斯建議說，家長應該從中引導，盡量不要讓電視成為孩子們了解戰爭的唯一途徑。 （中國日報網站譯） |
Updated: 2003-04-04 01:00
