Do We Go Too Far In Censoring Kids?
I read an interesting article on Michelle Malkin's blog today regarding Nickelodeon (you can find the article here). While I agree that there is a liberal bias overall, some of the comments on the article were a bit extreme. A lot of people stated that they wouldn't allow their children to watch the channel. Someone finally made the point that children need to understand the bias and why it is inherently wrong.
What it boils down to is this: Children need to have opportunities to explore various value systems and understand different points of view. I'm not a parent myself, but in my opinion, parents are more effective in passing down their value systems if children are given an opportunity to test the values of their parents. For me, that realization came through personal experience. I couldn't have imagined my parents' censoring the TV when I was a child. If there was way too much adult subject matter, they would normally just explain it. They were always clear on where they stood on things. Then again, we never had extremely explicit material in our home anyway. Today's kids are not going to know what to do with themselves when they are adults. They will have had all of their decisions made for them. Now that is sad.
Lindsey
Labels: censorship, nanny government, parenting, politics
posted by russelllindsey @ 12:00:00 AM
2 Comments:
Lindsey,
There is a delicate line between protecting and over-protecting.
My hubby leans toward the over-protecting side, imho.
We often disagree what is suitable for the kids to watch. For instance he won't allow the girls to watch the Simpsons at our house. He thinks they poorly portray the mans role in the home, showing Homer as an idiot. He disapproves of the disrespect the children show toward their parents and each other.
I on the otherhand see them as a family learning to make their way in the world, using exagerated circumstances. In the end, just like the Cleavers, everything works out as it should.
In truth each child is different and needs to be monitored according to their abitlities to understand.
Nice thought provoking subject.
Flip
As a child, the Simpsons is something that my Mom wouldn't let me watch. It was one of the very few things. Anyway, I love it now as an adult. I see the show the way that you do.
Overall though, there is a fine line between over-protection and protecting.
Lindsey
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