Western Daily Press, 1 July 2003

THE SCHOOL SUMMER HOLIDAYS are nearly here. And by the time they have ended, most parents will have spent considerable time (and money) arranging outings and activities and yet still have the heard that old refrain: "I'm bored".

It is hard not to be tempted in to providing an instant solution by letting children watch television or play computer games.

However, according to author Martin Large, a father of four from Stroud, Gloucestershire, children would benefit more if their parents used the summer holidays to wean them off the habit of constantly watching television and playing on computers.

In his recently-published book, Set Free Childhood, he claims television can hinder a child's development, and the expectations generated by adverts can cause parents considerable stress.

He advocates declaring childhood a commercial-free zone, and reducing (or preferably banning) television viewing by children under seven. He also recommends refusing to allow children to have televisions or computers in their bedrooms.

"Television is a powerful drug like alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. It's very addictive and children need to be protected from it at a young age, and later helped to use TV and computers judiciously after they are about seven and are able to read books," he says.

"Researchers in the United States have found watching TV shuts down the left side of the brain, which is the critical, thinking, analytical side. As it tunes out, the right side of the brain takes over. This side is concerned with images, colours, rhythms, and emotions. The result is a spaced-out, ha1f-asleep state, which makes it ideal for planting advertising messages."

Martin is a former Rudolph Steiner teacher. His two sons and two daughters - now aged 28 to 19 - were not allowed to watch television until they were seven, by which time they were able to read. "They didn't mind not watching television. We have a creative family life, and they got more pleasure out of playing with a box of dressing up clothes," he says.

"People tell me TV's a great babysitter, but the problem with doing this too often is children can become dependent and unable to occupy themselves.

"If you have the right sort of creative materials available, such as a Wendy House, a dressing-up box and an art table, they won't be bored. And if they are, then that doesn't have to be your problem. Parents are not supposed to be entertainment managers."

As well as diminishing children's ability to play, excessive and inappropriate television viewing can also lead to health problems in children, according to Martin.

"It takes time for children to grow up," he says. "The world is speeding up, but the stages of children's development are the same as they've been for thousands of years. In order for healthy interconnections to be forged between the left and right sides of the brain, they need movement, repetition, play, conversation and multi-sensory activities.

"But static viewing inhibits this. Watching too much television at a young age has been linked to the increase in children with problems such as obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder, delayed speech, impaired hearing, shortsightedness, and poor posture. "For example, constant electronic noise screens out the human voice, and this ean impair language development. It's interesting to note that the incidence of delayed speech in primary school children doubled to one in five between 1984 and 1990, which coincides with the extension of breakfast and daytime TV."

Suzanne Savill

Living without the telly It is easier to prevent addiction to television and computer games in the early years than it is to tackle it once the 'vicious viewing cycle' has begun, when the more television children watch the less they are able to play by themselves Agree family rules on the use of electronic media. For example, no television viewing on schooldays; no TVs or PCs in children's bedrooms; a ban on watching adverts; or only allowing the television to be used for watching videos Be selective about what your children watch. Many television channels aimed at children have an inappropriate amount of cartoon violence Reducing television viewing should be done in tandem with providing a range of alternative activities - a box of dressing-up clothes; a nature table; an art and craft area; musical instruments; garden play space; books; and sports equipment such as bats and balls Expect some increase in activity (and noise) as children who had previously been passive viewers start to play their own games.

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Article from 'The Mother Magazine', Spring 2003

Many children today are under stress from an early age, as childhood has been put on fast forward by commercialism, electronic overload and 'too much too soon.' Children are branded, turned into products and consumers by the media and advertisers. Toddlers' programmes like Teletubbies, aimed at 1-2 year olds, according to their makers are 'educational', teaching 'pre-verbal skills' and familiarising children to technology - as well as being one long doll product placement advert disguised as a story.

We all have stories of the children we meet who are under stress. A seven-year-old boy changed schools, and soon became anxious, nervous and had recurrent nightmares. His concerned mother went to discuss his problems with his teacher.' Well you see', said his teacher, your son is not watching enough TV and videos. He doesn't play computer games such as Nintendo which speeds up reactions, so do try Disney Game Boy or Pokemon videos.' The mother was appalled and asked, 'But surely it is better for him to play creatively and use his own imagination?' 'Well, yes, I agree with you,' said the teacher, 'But it has been shown that the skills developed by these games actually enable boys to become good fighter pilots!'

Take for example, the 6-month old baby who just couldn't calm down and sleep; or the class of seven year olds who found it hard to concentrate, or the anxious 5 year old who had nightmares.'

Dr Sally Ward, a Manchester speech therapist, was so struck by the large numbers of children attending her clinic with delayed speech that she surveyed 1000 children. She found that over 1 in 5 pre-school children had listening and attention problems that delayed speech development. She saw children of two and a half with virtually no ability to understand words. 'Children are focusing exclusively on the noise from television and stereos, and ignoring the sound from human voices.' Fortunately, Dr Ward developed a speech programme to help children, and parents, make up the deficit.

We are seeing babies being 'jump-started' with best selling computer software that promises to increase intelligence, children pestering us for products planted in their minds by advertisers, and interactive computer games geared to keep children glued to the screen - at the same time as the media convey the message that playing outside is dangerous. The result? A lot of scared parents, and bored children who cannot go outside, who are bought off with multi media stuffed bedrooms!

However, as parents we do have choices about how we respond to the fast paced electronic 24/7 culture. We can choose to slow things down in our families, to meet the time honoured needs of babies and children for loving relationships, tranquillity, security, rhythm, beauty, being together, creative play and good food. It is therefore important to recognise that the needs of young children and the demands of the electronic media are on a collision course!

For example, bringing up our four children in Gloucestershire has been a joy. Just think of Dennis Potter's 'blue remembered hills' of his childhood in the Forest of Dean. Or the sources of JK Rowling's inspiration in the legends, woodlands, long lazy times of a country childhood. Or Laurie Lee's childhood as described in Cider with Rosie. But rather than being nostalgic, for the good (bad?) -old days, we can also see that we live at a very creative time, with electronic media that are useful servants - if bad masters - and that we can reclaim childhood for children.

The easiest time to start is before your first child is born - which is a critical time for lifestyle change. Expectant parents ask, 'When can children start using computers or watching TV? When is it healthy?' The answer from doctors and educators is, 'The later the better'. The American Association of Paediatrics recommends that children under two should not watch at all, and thereafter very little. Jane Healy PhD, a Colorado educator and author of Failure to Connect, says that children of under seven should not watch or use computers - either at home or in school. Joan Almon, of the Alliance for Childhood, a Steiner Waldorf kindergarten teacher for 30 years, recommends no electronic media until seven, and then limited use.

These experts stress the fact that there are many health, behavioural, social and developmental side effects from early electronic media use. As well as the effects of programme content, it's the medium itself that is problematic. The screen, especially cathode ray tubes (CRT's) knock out the brain. This is ideal for the advertisers who can then get the messages in because the brain is tuned out. When we use computers, for example, we have to resist this tuning out effect by remaining conscious! Whilst many researchers have discussed this 'TV brain effect", one 6 year old summarised this as, 'TV rots the brain.'

Even the US military is concerned! Lt Col Dave Grossman didn't allow his children near the TV or video games, before they were seven. Why? As a psychology lecturer at the US Army's West Point Academy, he investigated how and why men kill other men in battle. Then as a trauma specialist, he advised the emergency services at Columbine School, Colorado, where two teenage boys shot 13 students and a teacher dead on 20 April 1999 - an incident brilliantly explored by Michael Moore in his film, 'Bowling for Columbine'. Dave Grossman concluded from his research that, whilst TV and video game violence were strong influencing factors on the boys - the clinching factor was their use of extreme shoot up video games such as Doom, that the US military also use for training soldiers to kill. He writes:

'I believe that in an ideal world, children should hold off watching TV until they can tell the difference between fantasy and reality, and 7 or 8 is about that age. I believe this SO strongly, that I am paying (bribing?) my kids, paying them $1000 a year towards the grandbaby's college fund, for every year that they promise to raise the grandbabies, TV-free, up until they are 7 or 8.'

So the first step is to understand the effects of the electronic media on your child. The second step is to decide, with your partner, how you are going the use the electronic media in your family, and agree a shared strategy. And forget the illusion of TV or the video as an electronic babysitter - the more children watch, the more things they want, the less able they are to occupy themselves. If they get bored, they will soon find something to do, just don't see your parent's job as a constant family entertainer!

One obvious thing to decide is where to put your TV and computer. In your bedroom under a cloth? In a cupboard? Out of sight out of mind! When the children are older, its important to have the computer in a social space, such as the hallway or even for some families their kitchen - where you can oversee use. Attending to electronic sound levels - from stereo, Cds, radio and TV - is also important, as babies shut off if there is constant background noise. Telling bedtime stories, singing lullabies and giving your child a back rub are much more fun that a good night video or tape! It is all about paying attention to what is healthy for you and your child.

However, be prepared for a creative mess in your 'Set-Free' home! The price of active children can be an untidy home. The following basics can also help:

• A play space - with dressing up clothes, basket of natural dolls, puppets, dolls house and a Wendy House.
  
• Toys - the simpler the better - avoid perfect toys that are TV related - open-ended toys such as bricks and cardboard boxes are more fun!
  
• A nature table - for children to re-create the season with flowers, seeds, fruits, candles, mosses and treasures you find outside.
  
• A sports area, arts and crafts table, a games cupboard, garden play space (if you have one), stories and books, shared mealtimes, and celebrating festivals.

And don't forget that if children say they are bored, leave them to it - it's time to dream and get into the creative, spontaneous, unstructured play that over scheduling kills.

The result? Children will talk more, play longer, occupy themselves well, be less demanding for junk foods, do their household chores, sleep better, be more geared up to learning, and more relaxed. I remember some old neighbours telling me that our TV free children, 'played just like old-fashioned children - for a long time, totally absorbed, active - and it looked so interesting what they were doing.'

To conclude, the central message of Set Free Childhood - to be published late April 2003 - is that we parents can create a lively family culture, that we are not helpless victims of commercialism, that we can protect children from the often toxic screen culture, and reclaim childhood for children.

This article is a preview of Set Free Childhood: Coping with computer and TV hazards in the early years, Martin Large. Published in April 2003, 1 903458 439, 192pp Illustrated by Kate Sheppard. Quotes and references in this article are in the book, which also has practical suggestions for campaigning against advertising directed at children, and ending TV induced pester power.

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Review from 'Irish Examiner', 9 May 2003

CHILDHOOD should be declared a commercial-free zone, according to the author. He says advertising directed at children of 12 and under should be banned and this should get rid of a huge cause of stress on families. It could benefit children's health and save parents money.

Presumably, if everyone agreed, the world would be a better place.