# Presentation: 025558

## TV Time...Helping WIC Families Make Better Choices

- TV Time...Helping WIC Families Make Better Choices

**Notes:**
Introduce self and topic. 
The issue of childhood overweight has been all over the news.

Everyone continues to ask the question WHY?
The answers are complicated and no one issue is to blame. However, TV viewing can be held up as ONE of the causes. 

Today we are going to discuss:
	how much TV we are watching
	the effect that TV is having on our brains, our families and our bodies 
	some solutions that you can use in your own life
	ways you can help WIC families make better choices about their TV 	viewing

Before we get started let’s clarify what we mean by screen time...screen time includes watching TV, videos, DVDs, playing video games, using the computer....recreational screen time...not just TV. 

To set the stage let’s take a look at a family and how the media effects their lives. Is this typical? You be the judge.

## Vignette 11

- TRT 1:15

## Network Programming

- Hundreds of channels
- Video
- DVD
- Pay-Per-View

**Notes:**
Think back to not too long ago when all we had were the three network channels and maybe PBS. Now think about what we have. There are so many more viewing options. You could spend hours just surfing around looking for something to watch.

## TeleVision

- 98% of all US homes have at least one TV.
- TV is the #1 source of news and understanding about current events for the nation’s children.

**Notes:**
Television is very pervasive in our society. 98% of all US homes have at least one TV. TV is the #1source of news and current events for the nation’s children. 

## TV

- Videos

- DVDs

**Notes:**
Let’s think about our own TV viewing. Think about EVERYTHING you watch; think about soap operas, news, your favorite reality shows, cooking shows, sports, movies... everything you watch. 

POSSIBLE DISCUSSION:
Take a minute and ask the group to add up the hours in the day that they watch television. Ask them to think about their day from the time they get up until they go to bed. Also, remind them to include videos and DVD’s.
Discuss with the group the number of hours a day they watch TV, videos, etc.? 
Ask them if they are surprised with the number of hours they watch? During the discussion, ask them to reflect on how often the TV is on in the household even if no one is watching.

## You know you may be watching                     too much TV if...

- The first thing you do when you enter the room is turn on the TV.
- You eat all your meals in front of the TV.
- There are as many TVsin your home as people.

**Notes:**
Television is a big part of our everyday lives. Sometimes we don’t realize how much we actually watch. Let’s take a look at one of the handouts you have titled, “You Know You May Be Watching Too Much TV If.” This is a fun look at our obsession with TV but at the same time it helps us realize just how much television we are actually watching.

This may be a good tool to use with clients as a fun way to help them see how much TV they are viewing. 

You Know You May Be Watching Too Much TV If...
The first thing you do when you enter the room is turn on the TV.
You eat all your meals in front of the TV.
There are as many TVs in your home as people. Sometimes this number may be larger than the number of people. Look at the picture on this slide, the new craze is a TV or video device in the car or van. These children each have their own viewing device. You can see the crayons stuck in the pocket by the girl’s seat but they are no competition to a DVD!

## You know you may be watchingtoo much TV if...

- You’re watching a show you don’t like when you realize it’s a repeat and you didn’t like it the FIRST time either.
- You know the theme songs to all the shows in prime time.

**Notes:**
You Know You May Be Watching Too Much TV If...
You’re watching a show you don’t like when you realize it’s a repeat and you didn’t like it the FIRST time either. So often we watch out of habit – not looking for the quality in television but just for something to do – it is just a habit that we continue to repeat.
You know the theme songs to all the shows in prime time.

## You know you may be watchingtoo much TV if...

- You know you may be watchingtoo much TV if...

- The number of shows you absolutely cannot miss is equal to or greater than the number of days in the week.
- The clerk at the video store knows you on a first name basis.
- Your cable goes out and you have the cable company on speed dial.

**Notes:**
You Know You May Be Watching Too Much TV If...
The number of shows you absolutely cannot miss is equal to or greater than the number of days in the week. 
The clerk at the video store knows you on a first name basis.  
Your cable goes out and you have the cable company on speed dial. 

## You know you may be watchingtoo much TV when...

- The hall closet is dedicated not to coats and hats but to DVDs, videotapes and video games.
- The last thing you do at night before closing your eyes is turn off the TV.

**Notes:**
You Know You May Be Watching Too Much TV If...
The hall closet is dedicated not to coats and hats, but to DVD’s videos and video games.
...and the number one way to know you may be watching too much TV is 
If the last thing you do at night before closing your eyes is to turn off the TV.

## How much?

- On average, children 2–11 watch 23 hrs/wk (teens 22 hrs), not including videos and playing video games.
- Children average more than 4 hours/day.
- American children 2–17 spend up to 1/3 of their waking hours in front of the TV.
- 20% of 9 year olds watch 6 hours per day!

**Notes:**
Let’s look specifically at how much television American children are watching.
On average, children 2-11 watch 23 hours per week, teens watch about 22 hours. This does not include videos and playing video games.
Children average more than 4 hours per day. 
American children aged 2-17 spend up to 1/3 of their waking hours in front of the television.
20% of 9 year olds watch 6 hours per day!

## When did this start?

- 1980’s
- Working class, middle class and affluent shared one inclination...the willingness to use television as the predominant personal leisure time activity.

**Notes:**
When did this phenomenon of Americans watching so much TV begin?

The mid 1980s mark an interesting period where working class, middle class and the affluent shared one inclination...the willingness to use television as the predominant personal leisure-time activity.

## TV as a Babysitter

- VCR
- Cable
- Satellite

**Notes:**
The 1980’s also marked a move toward using the television as a babysitter. VCRs came into existence for home use and became affordable in the late 80’s and early 90’s (now you can buy a VCR for $40 or $50). Cable TV and satellite TV became available so viewing options that interested children were plentiful. Families now have collections of videos and DVDs where in the past this would have been cost prohibitive. 

## Television Over the Years

- 1984

- 1990

- 1993

- 1998

- AAP suggested that TV has potential to increase violent behavior and may contribute to obesity. Cautions parents to limit the time watching TV and monitor viewing choices.

- AAP reaches same conclusion about TV viewing in children and makes similar suggestions to parents.

- Most childrenin the US spend more time watching TV than any other activity besides sleeping.

- Children spend an average of 900 hours per year in school and an average of 1500 hours watching TV (21–23 hours per week).

**Notes:**
Over the years the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has spoken out on television viewing. As far back as 1984 AAP was warning about the perils of too much TV.

In 1984, AAP suggested that TV has potential to increase violent behavior and may contribute to obesity. Parents were cautioned to limit the time watching TV and monitor viewing choices.

In 1990, they reached the same conclusion about TV viewing in children and made similar suggestions to parents.

In 1993, despite concerns from the AAP and others, most children in the US spent more time watching TV than any other activity besides sleeping.

In 1998, children spent an average of 900 hours per year in school and an average of 1500 hours watching TV.

## Television Overthe Years

- 2000 and Beyond...
- Children continue to watch more and more television.
- They also have DVDs, video games and computer use added to their recreational screen time.

**Notes:**
2000 and beyond sees no reduction in how much television children are watching. Children continue to watch more and more television and now also have DVDs, video games and computer use added to their recreational screen time. 

## Current Recommendationsfrom the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics

- < 2 years old: none
- > 2 years old: no morethan 2 hours per day

**Notes:**
Current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics are well below what children are actually watching. For children under two years old they suggest no television or video viewing whatsoever. For children over two, they recommend no more than 2 hours per day. 

## What TV doesto our brains...

- What TV doesto our brains...

- TV viewing slows the brain’s alpha waves so you feel relaxed and passive – which explains why the longer you watch, the harder it is to stop.
- The longer a child watches the more difficult they are to distract.

**Notes:**
Now that we know how much we are viewing let’s look at what that is doing to our children, and to us as adults.

First let’s look at what it does to our BRAINS.
TV viewing slows the brain’s alpha waves so you feel relaxed and passive. This explains why the longer you watch the harder it is to stop. Zoning out in front of the TV is just that – you are so passive and relaxed it’s hard to think about stopping to do anything else.
Studies have shown that the longer a child watches the harder they are to distract and get their attention to begin some other activity. 

## What TV does to our brains...

- TV viewing is negatively related to children’s academic achievement (less homework/reading).
- Amount of time spent in front of the TV relates to how well children do on standardized tests.

**Notes:**
Television viewing is negatively related to children's academic achievement. Children who watch more TV do less homework and less reading.

The amount of time spent in front of the TV relates to how well children do on standardized tests – with the children who view more doing poorer than children who view less.

## What TV does to our brains...

- Children’s reading skills are not developed while watching TV.
- Children who don’t play with friends don’t learn the social skills needed for classroom interaction.

**Notes:**
Children’s reading skills are not developed or enhanced while watching TV.

Children who view too much TV and don’t interact with friends don’t learn the social skills they need for positive classroom interaction.

## What TV does to family time...

**Notes:**
Television viewing also affects the FAMILY.

If there are two sets – one for the adults and one for the children, it serves to split the family. But even if the family views together, it is not a time of family interaction and conversation. They just happen to be in the same room at the same time.

## What TV does to our bodies...

- Overweight in children has almost doubled in the past decade.
- Research shows strong link between overweight in children and TV viewing.

**Notes:**
That is what TV does to our brains and to our families but the real attention to TV viewing has been given to what TV does to our BODIES.

Overweight in our children has reached epidemic proportions in the US. The number of overweight children has almost doubled in the past decade. Inactivity is, of course, one of the reasons. A large contributor to the inactivity of our children is the vast amount of television that is watched on a daily basis. 

## What TV does to our bodies...

- Study at Johns Hopkins — children who watched TV 4+ hours were significantly heavier than children who watched 2 or less.
- Stanford study — children who were involved in a one-year curriculum to decrease TV viewing gained significantly less body fat than control (did not suggest other activities just decrease video games, videos and TV viewing).

**Notes:**
A study at Johns Hopkins found that children who watched TV 4+ hours a day were significantly heavier than children who watched 2 hours or less.

Another study conducted at Stanford University engaged children in a year-long curriculum geared to decrease TV viewing. These children gained significantly less body fat than controls. The interesting part of this study was that the curriculum did not suggest other activities to replace TV viewing but just that the children should watch less. The researchers indicated that any activity that the children chose besides screen time was more active than sitting in front of the TV. 

The strong link between overweight and TV viewing makes it important for you to discuss TV viewing with your clients, especially those who have a child who is overweight or at risk of overweight. 

## Slide 22

**Notes:**
TV watching is replacing going outside, playing with friends, and imaginary play that used to be such a large part of childhood. The children of Family Circus are content to watch the nature channel instead of experiencing nature first hand by going out and playing. 

## Slide 23

**Notes:**
Again, Family Circus shows us the typical afternoon of a school age child. While on his way home he dreams of all he will do. What happens instead is habit takes over and he plops in front of the TV for an afternoon of inactivity. 

## What Are Our Children Watching?

- 90% of the shows children watchare NOT designedfor children.

**Notes:**
The fact that children are watching TV, videos, playing video games, etc. for so much of their day is one part of the issue. The other aspect of the issue is what are they watching.

While there are many quality programs on the air that are designed specifically for children, 90% of the shows children watch are NOT designed for children. 

## What Are Our Children Watching?

- Children learn behavior by mimicking whatis on TV.

**Notes:**
We know that children learn behavior by mimicking what’s on TV. Think about the shows that are on TV. Are we exposing our children to positive role models on TV with respect to healthy eating and physical activity? Often physical activity and healthy eating are not portrayed in popular culture as cool or hip. How often do we see characters on TV eating healthy foods or engaging in physical activity?

POSSIBLE DISCUSSION:
If time permits, discuss this with the group and ask them to give examples.

## What Are Our Children Watching?

- There has been a significant increase in commercials and promotions aired by broadcast networks.

**Notes:**
We are bombarded with commercials. Of special concern are those aimed at children. There has been a significant increase in commercials and promotions aired by broadcast networks. Often younger children don’t know the difference between the show and the commercial. They do not understand that the purpose of the commercial is to sell a product or that the advertiser may stretch the truth to get the point across.

## If advertisers are successful we will...

- Food producers and the fast food industry... eat more.
- Video and TV industry... watch more.

**Notes:**
We as adults need to keep in mind the goals of advertisers and help our children see what the advertisers want. 

If the food producers and the fast food industry aresuccessful in their advertising...we eat more.

If video and television are successful in theiradvertising...we all watch more.

Let’s now look at some popular logos from famous brands. The company names have been removed – let’s see if we still know who the company is. This will help to illustrate just how successful advertisers are at getting us to remember their products. 

## Slide 28

**Notes:**
This is an easy one. This company spends billions in advertising every year.

## Slide 29

**Notes:**
McDonald’s

## Slide 30

**Notes:**
Another easy one – world wide exposure of their brand. 

## Slide 31

**Notes:**
Coca Cola

## A Fast Food

- Restaurant

**Notes:**
One of the most popular fast food chains.

## Slide 33

**Notes:**
Burger King

## Slide 34

**Notes:**
Another giant in the soft drink industry.

## Slide 35

**Notes:**
Pepsi

## Slide 36

**Notes:**
This company comes complete with drive-through drop off.

## Slide 37

**Notes:**
Blockbuster

## Slide 38

**Notes:**
Who is this little guy?

## Slide 39

**Notes:**
The Lucky Charms leprechaun.

It’s not surprising we got so many right. These companies spend millions each year to make sure you and the children in the US know who they are. 

## Slide 40

**Notes:**
In fact, McDonald’s spends a tremendous amount of money making sure that all children know their mascot Ronald. They are so successful that Ronald McDonald is the second most recognizable icon...second only to Santa Claus. 

## Show Me the Money

- PepsiCo	$1,263,000,000
- McDonald’s	$1,025,000,000
- Coca-Cola Company	$  770,000,000
- General Mills	$  598,000,000
- Kellogg Company	$  448,000,000
- Hershey Foods Corp. 	$  433,000,000
- CDC’s Division of Nutr/PA	$    2,100,000
- 5 a Day Communications	$    1,000,000

**Notes:**
Let’s take a look at what some of the larger food companies spend on advertising. While not all of this is on television, certainly a large part of their budget is for television commercials.

	PepsiCo, which includes other brands such as Taco Bell, spent over 1 	billion dollars in advertising.
	McDonald’s also spent over $1 billion.
	Coca-Cola (a single food company) spent almost a billion.

Compare these numbers with the numbers at the bottom of this slide. CDC’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity spent just over $2 million and the 5 A Day Campaign $1 million. How can we compete to get our messages heard when obviously those selling fast food and high sugar drinks have so MUCH more money? Not to mention that the techniques used by the food companies are driven by marketing experts whose goals are the bottom line SALES.

## $12 Billion per year spenton marketing to children —much of that is on television ads.

**Notes:**
Those were the specific numbers for several individual food companies with respect to what they spend on advertising. Let’s talk for a minute about what is spent on advertising to children overall. 

We talked earlier about how the 80’s marked a time for a large increase in TV viewing. This period also marked a change in advertising. Companies saw a way to market their products to a target market that was virtually untapped...children. 

In 1986, McDonald’s informed its advertising firm that it had better find a way to get children viewers attention or risk losing the McDonald’s account. Well, they did such a good job that it changed the advertising industry greatly. The success convinced McDonald’s and its competitors to allocate more money for ads geared toward children. 

Soon there was so much money for youth advertising that entire new ad agencies were formed to handle marketing to children exclusively.

Currently an astounding $12 billion per year is spent on marketing directly to children. Their overall goal is to appeal directly to the children, not go through the parents. Ultimately, the advertisers want to teach the kids to influence their parent’s purchases and to gain loyal followers for a lifetime of spending. 

## TV Messages

- 10,000 food ads per year
- 95% for candy/fast food/soft drinks and sugar sweetened cereal

- Mom Messages3 X 365 = 1095

**Notes:**
The number of TV messages that children see per year is staggering. For food items alone, the number is 10,000. That’s 10,000 messages a year for food and drinks. 95% of those messages are for candy, fast food, soft drinks and sugar sweetened cereal. In fact, 41% of all the commercials seen on Saturday morning TV are for high fat, high sugar foods.

Let’s compare the number of TV messages about food that a child hears to the number they hear from Mom. Let’s just imagine that Mom gives one food message per meal everyday for one year. That is only 1095 – well below the 10,000 messages they saw and heard on TV. So, mom and other care givers have really got their work cut out for them to have their messages heard above the marketing on TV. 

## Fast Food Advertising Techniques

- Movie Tie-In

**Notes:**
Using fast food as an example, let’s look at some of the advertising techniques used to market to children. 

First, the Movie Tie-In. Fast food chains compete to be associated with the next big movie that will appeal to children. You see here on the slide the Burger King campaign with The Lost World and the McDonald’s tie-in to Monsters Inc. and Spy Kids 2. To get the cool toy from the movie you have to come in and buy a meal. They promote these movie tie-ins heavily using primarily television commercials aimed at children.

## Fast Food Advertising Techniques

- Toy Tie-In

**Notes:**
The next gimmick to lure children into a certain fast food restaurant is the Toy Tie-IN, offer a special toy with the purchase of their children’s meal. Often you have to come back time after time to get all the toys in the “set.” 

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

**Notes:**
It’s obvious from what we have discussed today that many children (and adults) need to decrease the amount of television they watch. What can we do in our own families AND how can we help the families we work with to decrease the amount of television they watch? We have developed some simple solutions to this complicated problem. 

Try to commit to doing at least one of these in your own family and suggest them to the families in your care. 

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

- Get the TV out of the bedroom.

**Notes:**
#1 

Get the TV out of the bedroom.
1/3 of 2-7 year olds and 
2/3 of 8-18 year olds have a TV in their bedroom.
Having a TV in a child’s bedroom makes it very easy for them to watch too much TV as well as to watch unsupervised. 

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

- Agree on a media budget.

**Notes:**
#2

Agree on a media budget.
How much TV, video watching, video games, and computer use for fun is allowed? 
Let children have some input into the decision.

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

- Set clear limits.

**Notes:**
#3

Set clear limits and stick to them.
For example, no TV on school nights, no TV after 7pm, or no TV until your homework it done, etc. 
Keep the limits – don’t waiver. 
Be a good media role model and set limits for the adults in the house as well. 
There is a custom in Germany that the family have one hour of quiet time per night with no TV, radios, etc. children can read, do art projects or the family can talk. This may be a custom that your family would like to adopt.

## Make a list of things you could do instead of watching TV.

- Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

**Notes:**
#4

Make a list of things you could do instead of watching TV. 
Involve the children – come up with things you can do in different seasons or some things that could become a family ritual such as walking after dinner twice a week.
Think about the last time the power went out in your home – what did you do instead of watching TV?

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

- Turn on the TV only when you have something specific to watch.

**Notes:**
#5

This is a big one! Guaranteed to make a huge difference. 

Turn on the TV only when you have something specific to watch.
If you have a media budget and have clear limits, you will know when you are going to be watching TV. Turn the TV on during that show, then turn it OFF!

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

- Eat together as a family WITHOUT the TV.

**Notes:**
#6

A recent report on NPR indicated that families now buy TVs or TV furniture before they buy a dining room table – many families don’t even have a dining room table. No Need – we just eat in front of the TV. Well of course, this is not recommended, in fact recommendation #6 is 

Eat together as a family WITHOUT the TV.
Meals should be a time for family interaction not silence while you watch a show. 

## Simple Solutions to Help Turn Off the TV

- Watch with children.

**Notes:**
#7

Watch with children.
This is very important. When the children do watch – watch with them. Talk with them about the characters as well as the advertising they see on TV.

## Vignette 12

- TRT 1:07

**Notes:**
A few minutes ago we saw a video clip of how one family deals with television. We saw the children miss opportunities to do other activities because TV is such a huge part of their life. We also observed a family with little or no rules about TV viewing. NOW let’s look at a family that has established some TV limits.