By Marie Winn

Unlike critics who focus on the content of programming for children, Marie Winn asks the question, how does the passive act of watching television affect the developing child’s relationship to the real world? Based on interviews with hundreds of families, teachers and child specialists, this book is a powerful challenge to parents and educators to re-examine their attitudes towards television.

This folder includes the following articles:

“What about TV?”, Kim Preston
This article is not an ‘anti-television tirade’ – it is the age of the child that is under consideration and what is good for them.

“Television and Children”, Marjorie Brooky
Young children accept what they are told as truth. Although the information received from television appears as an authority, it is merely the opinion or ideas of a few people, compared with the millions of viewers to whom it is broadcast.

“The Hidden Violence Of Television”, From Sydney’s Child
The brain tends to close down in response to radiant light sources. We’ve all seen how hypnotised children get when they watch television for any length of time…

“Children and the Machine – TV and Video”, Excerpt from the Lorien Novalis Community Group Minutes, May 2001
A discussion with teachers and parents.

“Telly’s done a bad, bad thing”, Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday 19 May 2004
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians have spoken out in response to accumulating evidence that media exposure can alter the development of children’s brains.

“Computer Games Stunt Brain Growth”, Sun-Herald, August 2001
Children who play computer games for hours on end risk stunted brain growth and a loss of self-control, research has shown.

“Sydney School Teaches With Linux Monopoly”, Computer World Magazine, March 2006
Linux may be struggling to gain a foothold in the primary and secondary education market but one Sydney school is setting itself higher grades - all without Microsoft.

By Marie McClendon

Workable solutions for when: the tired and hungry pre-dinner hour approaches, your children claim boredom and beg to watch TV, the children are up at 6am on a Saturday and you want to sleep in, you want more memorable moments for your family.