Too Much Drama for Kids TV…
I am certain that I have ranted on this topic before, but it struck me like a bell once again this past week. We were watching Disney Channel with the kids and they were advertising some of their ‘tween and teen programming. I will admit that I was really more zoned and glazed over with the marketing images just passing me by when my husband made a brilliant declaration to our 14-year-old.
As he watched a promotion for some show he simply stated, “…that is why you experience so much drama at school, these shows are all about drama every day.” I jerked my head up and jumped all over that bandwagon.
I have been in a multitude of conversations with our 14-year-old about her daily drama. It is very literally a different dramatic interpersonal relationship problem every week. I have to make little pneumatic devices in my head to keep all of her “BFFs” straight from story to story. I ask, “Is this Softball Ashley or New Best Friend Ashley?” It is important to know because in two weeks, Softball Ashley is the new BFF and New Best Friend Ashley will downgrade to Evil Boyfriend-Stealing Ashley.
Hearing my husband state the root of the problem so matter-of-factly put it all in perspective for me. Children who grow up watching Disney and then move on to MTV, E! and VH-1 reality shows believe that life is one big drama-fest.
I’ve always rebelled against Lizzie McGuire and the Bratz franchise because I felt it taught young girls to speak rudely to their elders and encourage them to act older than they are. Watching the current programs like Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zach and Cody and High School Musical, I see how much they inundate my kids with high-drama, overacting and overdone laugh tracks that do little to teach anything of value.
As I watch my kids and listen to their concerns about school, friends and with our older girls with boys and other teen girls, I can see how much influence these programs have. It is now considered appropriate to talk back to parents with a raised voice like precocious Hanna or spoiled London. Or worse, it is okay for girls to be vapid, materialistic, model-looking prima-donnas because they can sing or dance or because they are famous. I have yet to identify on the Disney Channel a single strong role model who faces any real life stress or conflicts that real children have to address in their daily lives.
I know that every show doesn’t need a moral lesson and that kids like to sing, dance and laugh but does it hurt to be genuine? Can’t a character on a kids show learn to stand up for what is right and admit when they are wrong without them spending 22 minutes doing prat falls, yelling until their veins pop out or embarking on some large convoluted caper first?
My kids are smart and deserve to watch shows that don’t pander to their most immature sides with canned laughter and spit takes. By the same token, they deserve to learn what real life drama is and what it can feel like so they can deal with it if/when they face it. You don’t see anyone dealing with real illness, loss of a loved one, financial crisis if someone loses a job, or simply busy working families where everyone has to pitch in. At least not on one of the most popular cable channel for kids, that is.
As you may have guessed, I have been switching off Disney for a while and keeping a closer tab on what the kids watch. I suppose I can take some comfort in the fact that my reaction to the shows is actually more important than what the shows put out. The kids definitely know that London Timpton on the “Suite Life” makes me gag, literally… and now they know why.
- Holly
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I totally agree with you about all those shows. They are fluff and teach kids no real lessons of value.
Thank you for posting my thoughts exactly on this issue. I was just speaking with a friend last weekend on this very thing.
Kristie
I was stunned a few years ago to see the stuff that is being passed as Disney-esque. When I was a kid watching Disney, etc., etc., the characters were wholesome. The morality play was in place. It’s almost like Disney roped us parents in when we were young. Now we just assume that Disney shows are still wholesome and moral.
I really and truly don’t know whether those shows actually promote or provoke bad behaviour, any more than I know whether a kid running around with a Super Soaker will become a serial killer. I simply don’t like the stuff. Period and straight out. I think it’s junk, same as I think a kid running around the yard with a plastic Ouzi is junk. I don’t care whether plastic Ouzis promote serial killing or not. I don’t like the sight of my children with them. Same as the Disney shows. I don’t like the idea of my child lying on the floor in the TV room vegging on some stupid, mindless TV show. I do believe kids need outlets for escaping, just like we do. But there are better TV shows that will have the same effect without also loading up the mind with junk.
My two older kids, by the way, were allowed to watch nothing but PBS after school until they were well into their teens. There was nothing more adorable than walking into the TV room and seeing my 16-year-old son watching Arthur. Then came the third child, who is 11 now. And we all who have multiple children know what can happen by the time of the third, or so, child: Rules get loosened up a bit. Somehow we got going with some channel surfing during his half hour of afternoon screen time. Sometimes, in other words, I walk in and find him watching one of those junk shows and I always say something, but it’s too vague because I had kind of sort of gotten to the thinking that maybe I’m too rigid about the culture that surrounds us. Now, though: Reading your blog entry reminds me that stuff is junk. I don’t want it in my house. I don’t want it in my kids’ minds. I’m reinstituting the rules, thanks to your post, Holly.
Wow! Thanks for the comments! Sometimes I worry that my rants are just that… Mom in hyper-drive and overreacting to my pet peeves. I appreciate the support and I am glad to see that I am not the only parent who sees these shows for what they aren’t. I wish the best for all parents who can switch off these programs and get the kids outside or playing games.
This is also an “issue” in our house. I hate many of the shows geared toward preteens and think it encourages bad attitudes. I’ve banned lots of the stuff and according to my girls I am the ONLY Mom who does that. Nice to know I’m not alone and also a reminder to myself that it’s important to enforce those rules.