Helping Children Escape from Digital Imprisonment
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Author: Jacques Brodeur, blog posted on Communication Initiative in 2014, updated May 2020 - In his book "Brave New World" published back in 1931, Aldous Huxley predicted that sometime in the coming century, humans will not want to be informed, nor educated, they will ask to be entertained.
"Most men and women will grow up to love their servitude" ....
Ninety years later, critical media educators know for a fact that digital entertainment industries consider children's attention as a merchandise, denying any responsibility about damage caused by screen exposure. Kids' attention is captured by screens (social networks, video games, television) to be sold to marketers. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, damage caused by letting kids' attention getting caught include: negative health effects on sleep, attention, and learning; higher incidence of obesity and depression; exposure to inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsafe content and contacts; and compromised privacy and confidentiality.
Since kids' attention is at risk of being attracted and captured, many parents and teachers ask: How can society help children escape such attractive prisons? Starting with the intrusion of television in most North American homes and all over the world, three industries gradually established their own collaborative strategies: Broadcasting. Producing. Marketing.
Broadcasters are in the business of attracting bigger audiences to obtain more investments from advertisers.
Producers provide broadcasters with programs and series that will attract bigger portions of spectators.
Marketers will pay more to reach wider portions of spectators and ultimately persuade them of what is good for them.
Year after year, new content was offered to the public in a manner akin to the way fishermen try various bait to catch their next meal. Gradually, the financial appetite of broadcasters nourished an increasing rivalry between networks to attract more children and adolescents. For corporations, this is nothing but ordinary business. For the last six decades, the same three industries joined efforts to win the race for prime-time youth audiences. They are in the commerce of catching children's attention.
In 1980s, researcher George Gerbner revealed that violent cartoons had nourished kids' brains with 100,000 acts of violence and 8,000 murders before entering high school.
To keep kids glued to the tube, entertainment industries used ultra-violent heroes, unable to solve conflicts without killing villains. In 1986, the GI Joe and Transformers series carried well over 80 acts of aggression per hour. In 1989, the Ninja Turtles joined the party, later followed by Pokémon, Batman, Spiderman, and many other stereotyped role models for boys.
Violence was not the only hook to grab kids' attention. Television (MTV) and the music industry also used female icons showing young girls how they should behave to become popular with boys: that's how the Spice Girls and Britney Spears helped the entertainment industry in pushing early sexualization. Fifty Cent and Marilyn Manson showed boys how to act, speak, dress, and treat women.
As financial profits for broadcasters, producers and marketers increased, negative consequences for society also increased. The number of children with troubled behaviors and overweight adolescents rapidly increased in schools all over North America and Europe.
In 2004, pediatrician researcher Dimitri Christakis found that cartoons with little or no violence could also capture kids' attention and increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. In 2011, ultra-popular Sponge Bob cartoons were identified as increasing the probability of ADHD.
After entertaining kids on TV, Bob's picture could be sold to cereal marketers, providing children with food that has little or no nutritional value. Symptoms of ADHD were not the only damage. Keeping kids watching Bob and other cartoon characters on screens is also major factor associated with sedentary behaviors, and the damage is known worldwide: The obesity pandemic has affected children's health in all countries. Modern kids now spend more time watching screens than attending school or sleeping.
To prevent the three mentioned industries from abusing children, civil society tried various approaches. Petitions asking governments to regulate programs and movies for children was only one of them. Despite massive support by people [PDF], no public decider dared take action. Other actions have been taken with actual impact, but not sufficient to inspire policies to protect children and teens' health.
By the beginning of the new century, one study came from the scientific community in California (CA), United States, US. What happens when children escape from screen imprisonment? Dr Thomas N. Robinson created the SMART curriculum and implemented it in San Jose, CA. The researcher from Stanford University published the 3 conclusions of his study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1999 (preventing obesity [PDF]) and in 2001 (reducing aggressivity [PDF] and (requests for toys [PDF]).
Robinson provided evidence about all three benefits resulting from screen-time reduction with the SMART (Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television) program. Educational material had been provided to teachers to help them motivate students in limiting screen-time exposure. Eighteen weekly lessons succeeded in lowering screen entertainment consumption and helped children avoid the increasing power of corporate "attention-catchers". Indication of abuse by digital entertainers consisted in mixing knowledge from three fields of science created to heal: psychology, neurology, and technology. By combining this tri-source knowledge, they took advantage of children's vulnerabilities. The new science of captology revealed even more about the increasing power of digital entertainers.
Thanks to Robinson, the SMART program [PDF] helped reduce screen time and produced great benefits for 3-4th graders in San Jose, CA. But would it be successful with younger and older students?
The 10-Day Screen-Free Challenge is a schoolwide program inspired by SMART. It proved to be helpful in reducing screen time of students in Canadian schools. It was launched in Canada in 2003, in partnership with the parents' association of Québec City and Chaudière-Appalaches. The first year, screen-time reduction was experienced in 11 elementary schools and one high school. A detailed evaluation was sent to Public Security Departments of Canada and Québec. In all participating schools, cooperation between parents, teachers, and community organizations became an essential part of the mobilization strategy.
Making critical media education playful
Preparing students for screen time reduction is like training athletes for the Olympics or a football team for the Superbowl. Kids or teens will face professionals from two industries: digital entertainment and marketing. Students are taught how to count their points by cooperating instead of competing, earning six points/day during school days and eight points/day during weekends.
Students could experience freedom away from screen-prisons inside of which their own brain-time had been captured. Between 2003 and 2007, almost one hundred schools organized the SF Challenge [SFC] in Canada. In 2008, the SFC found its way across the Atlantic. One elementary school experienced it in Strasbourg, France. Results were astounding. And so was the press coverage. Parents and children obtained more attention from the media than rioters known for record number of cars burned for New Year.
In the 12 following years, well over 300 elementary schools have experienced the Challenge in France. The list was made available online [PDF] by Institute Eco-Conseil, based in Strasbourg, France, every single year between 2008 and 2018.
In 2016, high school students were invited to join the movement. In only four years, 9,436 adolescents received training for the 10-Day Screen-Free Challenge. Every student made his or her own decision to participate or not, with no pressure whatsoever, and no material reward either (except for the reward of reinforcing their frontal lobe with critical judgment + the triple competency of empathy-compassion-cooperation).
Added to the one hundred participating schools in Québec, the Challenge seems to be at the beginning of a new educational/playful sport involving two opposing teams: On one side, behind screens, three industries paying thousands of professionals to increase the screen-time of kids and teens; on the other side, the citizens' team, including four potential allies asked to join the effort: students, parents, teachers, and community organizations in the fields of recreation, crime prevention, health promotion, social clubs, sports...
Liberty is something we must struggle for
Nelson Mandela suffered from imprisonment for 27 years. When he ultimately walked out of darkness, he chose to fight to free his people from apartheid and poverty. In a similar manner, in today's digital environment, parents and teachers need to join efforts to help children survive, live, and build happiness, despite the increasing appetite of screen entertainers and marketers. As recommended by Neil Postman in 1985, today's families and schools should teach kids "to use technology, rather than be used by it".
Welcome to the Internet Galaxy: Liberty, Truth, Solidarity.
As with all of the blogs posted on our website, the content above does not imply the endorsement of The CI or its Partners and is from the perspective of the writer alone. We do not check facts and strive to retain the writer's voice, as is detailed in our Editorial Policy.
"Most men and women will grow up to love their servitude" ....
Ninety years later, critical media educators know for a fact that digital entertainment industries consider children's attention as a merchandise, denying any responsibility about damage caused by screen exposure. Kids' attention is captured by screens (social networks, video games, television) to be sold to marketers. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, damage caused by letting kids' attention getting caught include: negative health effects on sleep, attention, and learning; higher incidence of obesity and depression; exposure to inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsafe content and contacts; and compromised privacy and confidentiality.
Since kids' attention is at risk of being attracted and captured, many parents and teachers ask: How can society help children escape such attractive prisons? Starting with the intrusion of television in most North American homes and all over the world, three industries gradually established their own collaborative strategies: Broadcasting. Producing. Marketing.
Broadcasters are in the business of attracting bigger audiences to obtain more investments from advertisers.
Producers provide broadcasters with programs and series that will attract bigger portions of spectators.
Marketers will pay more to reach wider portions of spectators and ultimately persuade them of what is good for them.
Year after year, new content was offered to the public in a manner akin to the way fishermen try various bait to catch their next meal. Gradually, the financial appetite of broadcasters nourished an increasing rivalry between networks to attract more children and adolescents. For corporations, this is nothing but ordinary business. For the last six decades, the same three industries joined efforts to win the race for prime-time youth audiences. They are in the commerce of catching children's attention.
In 1980s, researcher George Gerbner revealed that violent cartoons had nourished kids' brains with 100,000 acts of violence and 8,000 murders before entering high school.
To keep kids glued to the tube, entertainment industries used ultra-violent heroes, unable to solve conflicts without killing villains. In 1986, the GI Joe and Transformers series carried well over 80 acts of aggression per hour. In 1989, the Ninja Turtles joined the party, later followed by Pokémon, Batman, Spiderman, and many other stereotyped role models for boys.
Violence was not the only hook to grab kids' attention. Television (MTV) and the music industry also used female icons showing young girls how they should behave to become popular with boys: that's how the Spice Girls and Britney Spears helped the entertainment industry in pushing early sexualization. Fifty Cent and Marilyn Manson showed boys how to act, speak, dress, and treat women.
As financial profits for broadcasters, producers and marketers increased, negative consequences for society also increased. The number of children with troubled behaviors and overweight adolescents rapidly increased in schools all over North America and Europe.
In 2004, pediatrician researcher Dimitri Christakis found that cartoons with little or no violence could also capture kids' attention and increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. In 2011, ultra-popular Sponge Bob cartoons were identified as increasing the probability of ADHD.
After entertaining kids on TV, Bob's picture could be sold to cereal marketers, providing children with food that has little or no nutritional value. Symptoms of ADHD were not the only damage. Keeping kids watching Bob and other cartoon characters on screens is also major factor associated with sedentary behaviors, and the damage is known worldwide: The obesity pandemic has affected children's health in all countries. Modern kids now spend more time watching screens than attending school or sleeping.
To prevent the three mentioned industries from abusing children, civil society tried various approaches. Petitions asking governments to regulate programs and movies for children was only one of them. Despite massive support by people [PDF], no public decider dared take action. Other actions have been taken with actual impact, but not sufficient to inspire policies to protect children and teens' health.
By the beginning of the new century, one study came from the scientific community in California (CA), United States, US. What happens when children escape from screen imprisonment? Dr Thomas N. Robinson created the SMART curriculum and implemented it in San Jose, CA. The researcher from Stanford University published the 3 conclusions of his study in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1999 (preventing obesity [PDF]) and in 2001 (reducing aggressivity [PDF] and (requests for toys [PDF]).
Robinson provided evidence about all three benefits resulting from screen-time reduction with the SMART (Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television) program. Educational material had been provided to teachers to help them motivate students in limiting screen-time exposure. Eighteen weekly lessons succeeded in lowering screen entertainment consumption and helped children avoid the increasing power of corporate "attention-catchers". Indication of abuse by digital entertainers consisted in mixing knowledge from three fields of science created to heal: psychology, neurology, and technology. By combining this tri-source knowledge, they took advantage of children's vulnerabilities. The new science of captology revealed even more about the increasing power of digital entertainers.
Thanks to Robinson, the SMART program [PDF] helped reduce screen time and produced great benefits for 3-4th graders in San Jose, CA. But would it be successful with younger and older students?
The 10-Day Screen-Free Challenge is a schoolwide program inspired by SMART. It proved to be helpful in reducing screen time of students in Canadian schools. It was launched in Canada in 2003, in partnership with the parents' association of Québec City and Chaudière-Appalaches. The first year, screen-time reduction was experienced in 11 elementary schools and one high school. A detailed evaluation was sent to Public Security Departments of Canada and Québec. In all participating schools, cooperation between parents, teachers, and community organizations became an essential part of the mobilization strategy.
Making critical media education playful
Preparing students for screen time reduction is like training athletes for the Olympics or a football team for the Superbowl. Kids or teens will face professionals from two industries: digital entertainment and marketing. Students are taught how to count their points by cooperating instead of competing, earning six points/day during school days and eight points/day during weekends.
Students could experience freedom away from screen-prisons inside of which their own brain-time had been captured. Between 2003 and 2007, almost one hundred schools organized the SF Challenge [SFC] in Canada. In 2008, the SFC found its way across the Atlantic. One elementary school experienced it in Strasbourg, France. Results were astounding. And so was the press coverage. Parents and children obtained more attention from the media than rioters known for record number of cars burned for New Year.
In the 12 following years, well over 300 elementary schools have experienced the Challenge in France. The list was made available online [PDF] by Institute Eco-Conseil, based in Strasbourg, France, every single year between 2008 and 2018.
In 2016, high school students were invited to join the movement. In only four years, 9,436 adolescents received training for the 10-Day Screen-Free Challenge. Every student made his or her own decision to participate or not, with no pressure whatsoever, and no material reward either (except for the reward of reinforcing their frontal lobe with critical judgment + the triple competency of empathy-compassion-cooperation).
Added to the one hundred participating schools in Québec, the Challenge seems to be at the beginning of a new educational/playful sport involving two opposing teams: On one side, behind screens, three industries paying thousands of professionals to increase the screen-time of kids and teens; on the other side, the citizens' team, including four potential allies asked to join the effort: students, parents, teachers, and community organizations in the fields of recreation, crime prevention, health promotion, social clubs, sports...
Liberty is something we must struggle for
Nelson Mandela suffered from imprisonment for 27 years. When he ultimately walked out of darkness, he chose to fight to free his people from apartheid and poverty. In a similar manner, in today's digital environment, parents and teachers need to join efforts to help children survive, live, and build happiness, despite the increasing appetite of screen entertainers and marketers. As recommended by Neil Postman in 1985, today's families and schools should teach kids "to use technology, rather than be used by it".
Welcome to the Internet Galaxy: Liberty, Truth, Solidarity.
As with all of the blogs posted on our website, the content above does not imply the endorsement of The CI or its Partners and is from the perspective of the writer alone. We do not check facts and strive to retain the writer's voice, as is detailed in our Editorial Policy.
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