Guest Post:
Children are constantly being introduced to different types of media. This can include television, music, videos, and even the Internet. It seems that children are being exposed to more types of media at earlier ages every single year. While it may seem that it’s impossible to control what they do and do not access, it is possible.
There is no exact age as to when to introduce your children to different types of media. Some children are more juvenile for their age group, while others are more advanced. There is a guideline, however.
Software and Video Games
There are some software programs and video games that can be introduced to children as early as 3 years old. Most programs will specify the age group that they are appropriate for. Many of the programs and video games that are available for the preschool crowd are geared toward learning. They can teach the alphabet, numbers, and even learning how to read.
Many types of video games and software programs are out there, so you will need to take a look at the content before buying it for your children – or even introducing them to it. Many games contain violence these days and so you may want to think of it like a movie. Movies are often rated PG-13 or are if they have violence in them and so you may want to wait until children are at least 13 before allowing them to use these types of media.
Music and Videos
Music and videos are everywhere. They can be streamed from the Internet or they can be downloaded to the computer. You should take the time to preview the music and videos that your children are listening to. Anything that you would get off Disney or Nickelodeon should be appropriate for children under the age of 12. As far as content goes for your over 12 children, you may need to be more concerned with appropriate lyrics.
There is a lot of music with profanity – and as a result, music videos with profanity as well. While you may not be able to control what the artists sing about, you can control which your children listen to. It may be as simple as telling them that they can only download the lyrics with parental control that basically “bleep” out the profanity or it may be as complicated as installing some kind of software on your computer that babysits the programs and the contents that your children can view.
When you become familiar with the different types of websites, you will be able to introduce media to your children at the appropriate ages. There are some websites that contain media specifically for the preschool age group, the grade school age group, or teenagers. By learning about these websites and adding them to your favorites for your children to access, you can ensure the media is being introduced at the right ages.
Websites
The term “media” has been evolving for several years now. What once would include only music and videos has now had to expand to include websites, social media, and much more. Many parents do not allow their children to create social media profiles until they are at least the age of 12. However, this is a parenting choice and you should base it on the maturity of your child. There are some people who target young children, so until your children learn to recognize the signs, you must be careful as to what you do introduce them to.
Until your children learn what they should and should not share on the Internet, it may be in your best interest to have a watch program on your computer. This will allow you to control the settings as to what they can view, what they can download, and what they can do in general on the computer. Since you cannot be next to them the entire time they are on the computer, this may be the best bet.
Children will always be introduced to different types of media, whether you want them to be or not. There is no harm in allowing your children to view media, as long as it is age-appropriate. Familiarize yourself with the different types of media children are leaning toward these days and what websites are best for their age group.
Author Bio
Katelyn Roberts is a video and music blogger who uses KoyoteSoft.com video converter when creating videos and sharing them online. You can use KoyoteSoft to convert mp3.
