The Child and the Media: Influence and Education

The media everywhere exert a certain fascination because they are very attractive and easy to access. Being an integral part of the child's environment, they participate in the evolution of their imagination, and are enriching for their creative spirit.

However, the media can also manipulate the child by touching his sensitivity, his fragility because he is a small man in the making, still unable to have a critical look and take the necessary distance.

It is important, even essential for parents, to teach them how to use the media wisely to get them to understand how they work and gradually to separate truth from fiction.

The real and the imaginary in the child

At 3-4 years, the child does not discern the true from the false, nor the imaginary of the real, he does not know how to dissociate the silent thought and the words that can translate this thought. Bruner writes on this subject that the young child is convinced that the person before him knows all his thoughts.

The child has a particularly developed imagination. He can invent and tell aloud many stories without premeditation or malice. He tells them to have fun, he identifies with his heroes, without worrying about realism. The stories come to him naturally, from his childhood life, everyday rituals, moments spent with the family, the nanny, the school...

"The identification with a superhero means above all in the child a desire to be great, to identify with parents, with those he loves. It's a declaration of love. The fascination for the superhero, on the other hand, is not positive because it can translate a fear of the world, a desire to take back virtually the control of reality. The game, drawing or writing, can support the real by providing magic offsets. "

It is important to help the child become anchored little by little in reality, to project, without restricting his imagination. Some recommendations can lead him to make the difference between the imaginary world and reality:

·         Valuing the child's words when they are right, true. When he has made a mistake or a mistake, the parent can encourage him to say what really happened. It is important to congratulate him when he recognizes his error or his mistakes and when he repairs. The scolding is not the most effective, the child would later seek to hide his mistakes and lie for fear of being punished.

·         Avoid making a moral judgment about your child's "stories". "You really talk about anything!" During an interview explains that parents can try to read behind the words, even when the words "lie", and find out what is the hidden truth in the story of the child. For example, if the child says: "I'm cold!" While it's hot, it's better not to answer him: "No, it's hot!" It is essential to respect the unique feeling of the child. Even if this feeling does not correspond to reality, it still corresponds to something that the child seeks to express. This is how he can strengthen his self-confidence.

After 4 years, the child discovers what is not real. This does not prevent him from continuing to invent stories. The psychologist answered on this subject: "If he tells you that he drives a car, rather than telling him:" It is not possible! ", Which would cancel his word and his imaginary world, it is possible to enter his imagination by graciously correcting: "Ah, you would like to drive a car ... You would like to be able to do it already .... But do you really know how old you will be able to do it?

The media

a) Their influence:

The media exert a lot of influence on the psychosocial development of the child. They quickly realized that advertising products marketed to children is very effective because they do not understand the principle of hype and advertising bluff. They tend to believe everything they are told, and they may even feel deprived of something essential if they do not acquire the products touted by advertising. Most preschoolers do not understand the difference between a show designed to entertain and an advertisement made to sell. "Several studies show that because of their level of development, children before primary do not necessarily distinguish advertising from regular programs."

b) Images and violent sounds:

The violent images that are most likely to disrupt a child are scenes of real-life events, hot topics such as bombings, war, famines in foreign countries .., as well as scenes in which animals are injured or killed. Psychiatrist, specifies: "As far as what is shown, it is its emotional context which matters for the small child. For him, seeing a soldier firing a machine gun is less disturbing than seeing people howling, crying, and running out of their homes. And he is even more disturbed when he does not know what value to attribute to this emotional intensity, as is the case when he sees pornographic images. "

Understanding an injured child by the media images?

"From the age of 2, a child is able to turn away from something that bothers him, such as leaving the room or changing channels when he is older,". However, if some violent images have caused him emotional stress, in the form of anguish, fear, anger or disgust, he will seek to protect himself, not only but in front of someone. For this, he tries to transform these images in 3 ways:

·         by talking about it,

·         by telling each other stories

·         or by reproducing, imitating the stressful gestures he has seen.

Daily accompaniment

Adults who are aware of the risks that a child faces in the media can guide him or her in the relevant use of the whole, be it TV, radio, video or computer games, the Internet...

·         With good media management for example in its second year, television habits can be established, and parents knowledgeable about the shows and their hours of broadcast.

·         Watch television, the Internet together and enjoy these times to discuss programs, images, what the real order is, and what is fictional. He proposes to establish a climate of trust and a constructive dialogue and not to systematically ban everything. Other media such as magazines and radio can be supervised by adults because they can also influence the child's eating habits, physical activity, consumption or mental health.

·         Vary activities shared with the family: cooking, DIY, various outings (walks, zoo, park, museum, outdoor games ...), because the more children spend time with the media, the more they are influenced by them (television for example). A child who has problems with aggression, or who seems more vulnerable.... may be too exposed.

·         Continue to keep abreast of the most recent data on the influence of the media and the development of psychosocial health of the child.

Conclusion

The issue of children's exposure to the various media is an integral part of education today. Parents and professionals play a very important role in the social learning of the child. The media have their good side, they are rewarding for all. To speak about them regularly and to share the opinions of each one, each one, big and small, is to act as parents-educators actors.

The media is ubiquitous and the pressure is constant. Also, do not let them take over our children, when it comes to education and influence.

Source: Security Operations Certificates Melbourne

Educate Parents to Use Smartphones and Tablets

There is often talk of the importance of educating children and adolescents to use new technologies. In fact, the Internet is an extremely useful and powerful tool, capable of improving the quality of life in an extraordinary way. Through the mobile phone, in fact, today we can read books, search for recipes, shop and find our way around the world. In short, with the cell phone we can do almost everything. As an extremely powerful tool, however, it is important to use it properly and responsibly. This is why it is important to invest in education for new technologies of the new generations. But to do this, of course, the adult should also get involved. Often, in fact, we overlook the fact that it is fundamental, first of all, to educate parents on the use of smartphones and tablets. Only in this way, in fact, it is possible to transmit a positive and responsible model for the use of new technologies.

EDUCATING PARENTS TO USE SMARTPHONE AND TABLET:

It is impossible and, above all, useless and harmful to completely deprive children of new technologies. Our society is moving in that direction and, therefore, it is more appropriate to educate children to use the Internet in a conscious and responsible way, rather than to completely deprive them. Obviously, however, it is essential to take into account the age and development level of the child. It is impossible to think, in fact, that a four-year-old boy could have the same access to a cell phone as a twelve-year-old boy.

Today's babies are called "digital natives" because, from birth, they find themselves immersed in technology. Perhaps for the first time in history, they are the little ones who apparently seem to know more about their parents on how to use smartphones and tablets. The children, in fact, already very young, manage to explain how to move in the world of the internet. For their parents, however, it is often a relatively new reality. They approached technologies perhaps as a child, but were not born immersed in this world. Even for adults, therefore, the world of the Internet and its potential are still to be discovered. For this reason, perhaps, it is necessary to take a step back before educating children to use the Internet. It is fundamental, in fact, to ask ourselves if, as adults, we know how to regulate ourselves in the use of new technologies.

EDUCATING PARENTS TO USE SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EXAMPLE

Many times parents report serious concerns about the time children spend in front of their cell phones. This is understandable. Recent studies show that, on average, children, even very small ones, spend most of their day in front of a device. It really makes an impression to see how absorbed the children are in front of a screen. If we happen to see a child in front of a phone and / or a tablet, we all remain open-mouthed. But let's try a moment to broaden our horizon. Let's try to look around on the subway, at the bus stop or in a bar. What are most adults doing?

We live in a world completely immersed in new technologies. Staying out of them is impossible, but learning to use them consciously and responsibly is possible. Indeed, our duty. How can we educate children to use their mobile phone responsibly if they don't commit themselves to work first? Educating parents on the use of smartphones and tablets therefore becomes fundamental.

EDUCATING PARENTS TO USE SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS: HOW LONG ARE WE CONNECTED?

New technologies are taking up our time more and more. How often do we watch the time on the phone? The arrival of a WhatsApp message, Facebook notification or Instagram like? The time of the appointment at the dentist? The title of that song we don't remember anymore? And if there is some free time, who is not going to browse the profiles of friends and acquaintances? In short, how many times in an hour do we unlock the keyboard and look at the bright screen?

As is known, children struggle to manage time in front of telephones. And the same goes for adults too. For this reason, educating parents on the use of smartphones and tablets is essential. Not to demonize its use, but to be aware of the effort that can be done to get away from the phone. In fact, the risk of becoming dependent on it is very high.

EDUCATING PARENTS TO USE SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS: TECNOFERENCE

Not only. An American research has highlighted another very important effect of the excessive use of mobile phones and tablets. The study, conducted by Illinois State University and the University of Michigan, focused on the concept of techno reference. The term indicates the interference during interactions related to the continuous and repeated interruptions related to the use of the mobile phone. In fact, communication is not just verbal. When two people interact, looks and eye contact also become fundamental. Inevitably, with the constant interruptions related to the use of the mobile phone, this communication is disturbed. And this also occurs in the interaction between parents and children.

The results are worrying. The constant interruption to throw an eye on the mobile phone, reply to the message or watch social media can lead to important consequences on the relationship between parents and children. This emerges especially when they occur in daily sharing moments, such as during meals or in the routine of falling asleep. But not only. Research shows that the effects of techno-resistance can also be transferred to the psycho-emotional well-being of children. Indeed, emotional or behavioral difficulties may arise.

EDUCATING PARENTS TO USE SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS: THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING RULES

Smartphones and cell phones allow us to do many things. Some of these, unthinkable even just a few decades ago. That said, the time spent in front of smartphones and tablets is far too much. Some studies indicate that the time spent in front of the mobile phone by adults is really a lot. How, then, to educate parents on the use of smartphones and tablets, so that they can also be a reference model for children? First, it is important to share some rules. This does not mean that the time that parents have to stay on the phone must be equal to that of the children. Rather. The adult also uses it (but not always) for valid reasons. However, at the same time, it is important to share some rules for positive and responsible use. The concepts on which it can be useful to reflect are:

THE WEATHER

How long can you stay in front of the screen? For adults, it can be helpful to monitor the time spent in front of the phone. There are several applications, created precisely to empower a conscious use of smartphones. Sometimes, having an idea of ​​the time spent online can lead us to reflect and change our habits.

SPACE

Can the mobile phone always be used? It is now automatic to remove the mobile phone from your pocket or bag as soon as you have a free moment. Even at the supermarket checkout, to cheat time. But also when chatting with friends, during family meals, before falling asleep. Choosing together the moments in which it is good to leave the mobile phone aside can be very useful for carving out moments that are not polluted by continuous interference and distractions.

As repeatedly said, new technologies are a very powerful resource. The opportunities they offer us are innumerable. There is no need, therefore, to demonize technology and progress, but it is much more useful to take action to make responsible and positive use of it. For this reason, educating parents on the use of smartphones and tablets becomes a main objective.

Source: Early Childhood Education And Care Certification Melbourne

Homework: How to Manage It the Right Way?

The question about homework is always on. There are those who support its importance and those who, instead, would like to see them drastically reduced. There are children who like to carry out school activities at home. Other times, instead, it can happen that children show resistance in doing their homework, they get desperate and take a long time before deciding to put their head on school books. This becomes very stressful for the children themselves and also for their parents. The latter, in fact, can struggle to find the right ways to help their children carry out the activities assigned to them.

Regardless of the position in this regard, if a school assigns homework, it should be done. It is important to understand how to make the exercises a useful training, avoiding turning this moment into a war ground between parents and children.

SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE TO PERFORM THE TASKS AT HOME

WHEN?

It is important to decide together the best time to do homework, based on the needs of the child and the parents. If there are many things to do, it is appropriate to set breaks, to disconnect and recharge your energy. Taking revitalizing moments is not a waste of time, on the contrary. The breaks may prove useful to recuperate and get back to work with the right energy.

Organizing the afternoon study is essential. It is necessary to create an afternoon schedule. This allows to define which activities are preferable to carry out first and which ones, instead, can be performed at the end of the day. This organization is functional for distributing energy. Planning the afternoon also allows you to take the time to develop your passions and cultivate your interests.

WHERE IS IT?

This point is fundamental and often overlooked. There is no way to study in a quiet and well-oxygenated place to promote concentration. Especially nowadays, where the sources of distraction are many (cell phone, television, pc,), it is important to set up an orderly and quiet space to study. It can be the bedroom if you have a desk. Or the kitchen table can be fine too, at a time when silence reigns. It is better to avoid studying, instead, lying on the bed or leaning on the sofa.

The choice of a tidy and well-lit space, therefore, is essential for dedicating oneself to homework, in a functional and less dispersive manner.

ARE WE CREATING A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE?

Paradoxically, we are inclined to engage in things that already do well. Seeing that our commitment produces good results leads us to improve more and more, to achieve excellence. If, instead, we see that despite our commitment the results are scarce, we often tend to break down and abandon. Precisely for this reason it is important to highlight the small and large achievements, the commitment and determination of children. We need to create a virtuous circle, which encourages young people to continue to work, to learn better and better. Being aware of being able to do it, in fact, is the first step to be able to reach the goal.

The motivation in school is the driving Prince to encourage good learning. We need to focus a lot on this aspect, so that learning is not mere passive memorization of information. A motivated student, in fact, makes the knowledge learned his own, as he considers it useful for himself and for his own cultural baggage. Only a motivated study therefore guarantees real learning.

To foster motivation and experience one's own effectiveness, it is essential to build one's own method of study. Clicking here you can download the eBook “Learn to study ", full of practical tips and reflections to build your own method to study in a functional way.

FACING THE TASKS AT HOME WITH THE RIGHT ENTHUSIASM: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

How do we react to the activities we have to do? Do we complain every day? Do we also welcome the activities that we like least, taking advantage of the positive aspects? It seems trivial, but children absorb as sponges not only what we tell them to do, but above all how we behave in everyday life. We teach children the enthusiasm and passion for small everyday discoveries, even those that may seem trivial. Nobody likes cleaning the floor, but it allows us to live in a clean environment. Likewise, operations are not always pleasant to do, but can be useful to go alone to buy sweets from the tobacconist.

As always, the example that adults offer to children is a central aspect of education. Dealing with even the most arduous tasks with enthusiasm and passion can be a useful lesson to show the children. And this applies to small and big things.

THE INTERVENTION OF THE PARENTS IN THE TASKS AT HOME

Growing up, it is important for the child to be empowered and to increase his autonomy. To take responsibility, it is necessary not to substitute one’s own children. Allowing them to organize themselves and manage themselves in a gradual manner is the only way that children can demonstrate that they can do it themselves. Only by letting they experiment (and therefore also making mistakes) can children develop the self-discipline necessary to become autonomous. Obviously you can't expect autonomy to come at any moment. Training and exercise is needed. In the long run, however, this will help the child find their own method of study.

Sometimes, the tendency is to overpower children, even trying to replace them. In doing so, however, children are not protected, indeed. Depriving them of little experiences of frustration, children have no way to train themselves to cope with the events that inevitably meet in their path.

To foster autonomy in tasks, it is necessary to move gradually. If the child has been accustomed to being followed in the execution of the activities, the child can gradually be managed independently. For example, you can help the child structure the activity frame. It can be useful, in fact, to create together the planning of the activities to be done, to give oneself times and objectives. In conclusion, it may be important to make a final check: cover the tasks together, understand what was not understood and what can be done together.

WHEN THE TASKS AT HOME ARE A TRAGEDY

Children often struggle to find their own method of study. In these cases it may be useful to accompany the children on a path to learn to study efficiently.

Sometimes, however, lack of motivation and difficulty in studying can reveal a moment of impasse. It is important, therefore, to observe your children to try to understand if a possible discomfort can hide behind what can be considered a trivial whim. In this case, an in-depth analysis can help you understand what lies behind the difficulty in homework and how to deal with the situation constructively.

Source: Early Childhood Education And Care Certification Melbourne

Too Many Diagnoses on Children: Is It Really So?

I often deal with this topic with parents, but also with teachers and with the various professionals that revolve around the health of children. In fact, we often hear that there are too many diagnoses on children. In fact, in recent years we are witnessing a boom in diagnosis. There are many evaluations that they recognize in small specific learning disabilities (DSA), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorders, and so on. But what are the reasons for this increase in diagnosis? What can we attribute to the increase in assessments that lead to a certification?

TOO MANY DIAGNOSIS ON CHILDREN: BUT WHAT IS A DIAGNOSIS?

We often hear about diagnosis. But what is it really about? Diagnosis is the result of an evaluation process, which brings certain characteristics back into a specific category. The diagnosis, therefore, is a useful tool that allows you to define a situation and allows you to share it between professionals with a common and shared language. It is therefore a "label" that allows to give a name to the specific characteristics of the child.

At the same time, however, the diagnoses allow us to frame the situation and enable us to take action to take a clear and defined path. A diagnostic framework allows you to move through scientifically validated guidelines, which allow you to orient yourself in the best way for the well-being of the child and his family.

ARE THERE REALLY TOO MANY DIAGNOSIS ON CHILDREN?

Can we really talk about having too many diagnoses on children? Can we talk about over-medicalization? The problem, in reality, in my opinion, are not too many diagnoses on children, perhaps, but what is done with them. In fact, evaluation is often the starting point, but also the point of arrival. Too often there are fragmented indications and partial services, which do not help children and their families. At this point, therefore, the certification becomes only a tool that "labels" the child, but does not activate the context to rehabilitate it or strengthen its deficit areas. The diagnosis, in this way, in my opinion, serves very little.

At the same time, however, saying that there are too many diagnoses on children can be dangerous. In fact, when something worries or arouses some suspicion, contact a professional and investigate the situation. It is essential, in fact, to do in-depth analysis. Working in advance in this sense is very important. First we move, the resources are activated first.

The professional has a very important role. In fact, families must be accompanied to understand together what and how to do it. Every intervention must be built with that child and his family. It is up to the professional not to simply make the assessment, but to support the family in activating a context capable of supporting the child's characteristics. It is not only the child who must strengthen or rehabilitate his own skills, but also the context. Therefore, the psychologist-family-school alliance becomes central and with other contexts important for the life of the child.

TOO MANY DIAGNOSIS ON CHILDREN: WE ARE NOT PASSIVE SUBJECTS

One of the major risks that worries me about the excessive medicalization of children's disorders is to convey the message that nothing can be done, because the disorder is in the child. The risk, therefore, is that of feeling powerless in the face of the situation, and reifying all the difficulties in the child. He is the only one who can do something. This is true, but to a certain extent. As parents, as teachers and as adults who revolve around the lives of children, we are responsible for the context in which they live. And, as people, we are active subjects, each with their own skills and responsibilities.

It is the competence and responsibility of the adult world, in fact, to take action to guarantee all the major and best situations. It is not about doing it yourself or waiting for the situation to improve on its own, but moving in the best way. It must be activated synergistically. The diagnosis does not say that the problem is the child's and that the context must not change. This vision, in fact, risks reifying the problem in small. The goal, however, must be to create the best conditions to promote well-being and the improvement of living conditions, of the child and his family.

TOO MANY DIAGNOSIS ON CHILDREN: CHILDREN ARE NOT SMALL ADULTS

Many times we ask ourselves what is the standard of child we refer to. What is meant by a typical-child? Perhaps, in a society where perfection is expected of everyone, we have lost sight of what childhood is and the real characteristics of children.

Despite the daily scientific discoveries, we often forget to implement their application in everyday life. Too often, in fact, we are witnessing attitudes and claims of the adult world that do not consider the development of children. Children are not miniature adults. Their biological, physiological, cognitive and emotional structure is different from the adult one. It is not possible to make requests that children cannot objectively satisfy. Children cannot be asked to do abstract work in first grade, when that part of the brain is not yet developed. Can we ask the children to sit for 4 hours, to listen to the lesson passively? Can you expect children in kindergarten to eat compound seating, without talking during lunch? Some do, but not everyone can do it, and not necessarily because they have something.

TOO MANY DIAGNOSIS ON CHILDREN: THE ROLE OF EDUCATION

To understand if a child can be diagnosed, it is important to understand if the demands of the environment are suitable and if the teaching methods, for example, are consistent with his learning style. For example, Gardner points out that there are 7 types of intelligence. The current school, in most cases, considers only two: the logical-mathematical one and the linguistic-verbal one. On the other hand, whoever develops social or bodily-kinesthetic intelligence the most, how can he achieve his goals with the tools currently available in most Italian schools?

Furthermore, another interesting aspect is that development is structured in an interconnected way with education. It is therefore necessary to ask ourselves if we are guaranteeing all the possible favorable conditions for this to happen. It is not a question of being good or bad parents, but of implementing an educational system conducive to healthy and harmonious development. For example, can a child be expected to follow the rules at school if, for example, he doesn't have one at home?

IN CONCLUSION, ARE THERE REALLY TOO MANY DIAGNOSIS ON CHILDREN?

This does not mean that everything is allowed and that all the diagnoses are useless, indeed. Diagnoses are fundamental, and this is why special attention must be paid to their writing. We must be happy that the scientific community carries out studies and research to refine diagnostic criteria and intervene early on many difficulties.

As professionals, however, we must be very careful to give meaning to the diagnosis, which alone is not enough to exhaust the child's description. It is necessary to take a picture of the situation, as a starting point to understand where to strengthen, rehabilitate, educate or re-educate. In fact, the psychologist's is a scientific work, but it cannot be separated from the relationship and the context.

Source: HLTAID002 Basic Emergency Life Support Certification