For Release: January 13, 1997, 5 PM (ET)
PEDIATRICIANS RESPOND TO TV INDUSTRY RATINGS SYSTEM
CHICAGO--The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that any effective television ratings system should be content based to offer parents guidance on a programs level of sex, violence and language. The action is in response to the television industrys efforts to institute a ratings system that labels programs by age groups, similar to the current ratings system by the movie industry.
The AAP says that content-based systems, such as those developed by the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) and the cable system, are effective in helping parents make informed decisions about program selections. The RSAC guidelines address sex, violence and language by utilizing a symbol for each category. Parents use symbols to gauge whether a program is appropriate for their children. These systems should be used as a benchmark in judging any ratings because they are objective and informative without being judgmental.
The AAP has long recommended that parents should monitor the content of what their children see on television in policy statements entitled Media Violence; Sexuality, Contraception and the Media; and Children, Adolescents and Television. The AAP says that next to the family, television is the most important influence on child development and behavior in our society. As an example, AAP policies cite the following statistics:
* By age 18, the average American teenager will have spent more time watching television than learning in the classroom.
* American teenagers see an estimated 14,000 sexual references and innuendos per year on television yet only 150 references deal with sexual responsibility, abstinence or contraception.
* The level of violence during Saturday morning cartoons is higher than the level of violence during prime time. There are three to five violent acts per hour in prime time vs. 20 to 25 acts per hour on Saturday morning.
To counter these media messages, parents need to teach children to be "media literate" and to differentiate between fantasy and reality. The AAP encourages all parents to talk with their childs pediatrician about ways to respond to the television messages that children receive in the home.
For a single free copy of a brochure on television, parents may send a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope to: American Academy of Pediatrics, Dept. C: Television & the Family, PO Box 927, Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927.
EDITORS NOTE: To receive additional information on this issue, please contact the Division of Public Relations at 847/981-7877 or e-mail the division at [email protected]. The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 51,000 pediatricians dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
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