DOCUMENT RESUME ED 366 867 CG 025 213 TITLE Talking with TV: A Guide to Starting Dialogue with Youth, 1993-1994 Edition. INSTITUTION Center for Population Options, Washington, DC. SPONS AGENCY Carnegie Corp. of New York, N.Y. PUB DATE [94] NOTE 29p. PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom Use (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Adolescents; Children; Cultural Influences; Drug Use; Ethnicity; *Interpersonal Communication; Interpersonal Relationship; *Mass Media Effects; *Parent Child Relationship; *Preadolescents; *Programming (Broadcast); Responsibility; Sexuality; Television Research; *Television Viewing; Values ABSTRACT This booklet shows parents and other adults how to use entertainment television to sparkdiscussions with children and adolescents about sexuality, values, responsibility,communication, and other sensitive subjects (personalrelationships, race and culture, drug use). First published in 1989, thisbooklet has been updated annually. Discussion questions and activitiesin the guide focus primarily on preadolescents--children betweenthe ages of 9 and 12 years--but are of use with both younger and olderaudiences as well. This guide from 1)93-1994 features plotsummaries of returning shows popular with preadolescents and adolescents and newshows which, most likely, will attract a young audience. Theguide does not endorse or rate shows; it chooses those mostlikely to raise important issues. Most of the shows highlighted in theguide are broadcast in primetime. Included in the guide are namesand addresses of production companies, networks, cable channels,and other organizations concerned with television.(Author/NB) *********************************************************************** * * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that canbe made * * from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement DUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it 3 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or poll "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMAT The Center for Population The CPO Media Project Options (CPO) CPO's Los Angeles-based Media CPO is a multi-dimensional, Project works with the nonprofit organization founded inentertainment media to generate of 1980 to increase the opportunities accurate, relevant portrayals and abilities youth have for makingsexuality. It offers information, healthy decisions about sexuality. research findings and free script In the U.S. and developingnations,consultation to writers and CPO provides information, producers. The project's annual education and advocacy to youth- presentation of its Nancy Susan serving agencies and professionals,Reynolds Awards is a recognized policymakers and the media. ceremony honoringtelevision programs, music videosand theatrical films that address Center for Population Options sexuality issues in a creative, 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW sensitive and factual manner. Suite 200 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 347-5700 CPO Media Project Fax (202) 347-2263 3733 Motor Avenue, Suite 204 Margaret Pruitt Clark, President Los Angeles, CA 90034 Phone: (310) 559-5700 Fax: (310) 559-5784 Talking With TV was funded in part by a Jennifer Daves, Director grant from the CarnegieCorporation of New York, which does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed here. a Talking With W: What is it? The finding is astounding- to 12-but are of use withboth children in the United States spendyounger and older audiences. more time watchingTV than doing Talking With TIN Program anything else except sleeping. Guide for 1993-94 features plot Research continues on how summaries of returning shows television influences their attitudes.popular with pre-teens and teens But one thing is dear now: so longand new shows which, most likely, as television continues tohave suchwill attract a young audience. CPO a predominant placein young does not endorse or rate shows; we people's lives, adults must make it achoose those most likely to raise communications ally. important issues. Except for late- Talking With TV shows parents afternoon specials and Saturday- and other adults how to use morning shows, programs are entertainment television to spark broadcast in "primetime," between discussions wita children and teens7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. about sexuality ,values, Talking With TV also indudes responsibility, communication andthe names and addresses of other sensitive subjects. These production companies, networks, subjects include personal cable channels and organizations relationships, race and culture andconcerned with television. drug use. CPO hopes this booklet will help CPO first published Talking Withyou make TV an allyin exploring TV in 1989 The booklet has been important issues with children. updated annually. Discussion questions and activities in this guide focus primarily on pre-teens-children 9 Contents Talking With TV: What is it? 1 TV, OurChildren and Sex 3 How to Make IV anAlly 4 What's On:The 1993-94 Program Guide 10 Talking to TV: Your Opinion Counts 21 1 , 4 aAi* This Mother Knows Best, Both Onand Off Screen From a parent's perspective, television isdelivering a lot of good information to children these days. But there's still roomfor improvement; some entertainment programs send confusing insensitive orclearly wrong messages about important issues. I know the medium's strengths andweaknesses particularly wel4 because I'm Mom on and off the screen. Playing Cindy Walsh, mother of teenagetwins Brandon and Brenda on Beverly Hills, 90210, has given me four years toconsider the ways young people learn to make decisions about subjects ranging fromfamily and peer relationships to sexual behavior to values and culture.Being the real-life parent of a six-year-old boy challenges me to find positive ways toexplore those kinds of topics with my child And working as a television actressgives me the chance to analyze how TV talks to our childrenhow it can teachthem and how it can confuse them. My conclusion is that it is importantand po.uible for adults and children to "talk with* TV, as this booklet willshow you. Shows popular with young audiences can launch excellent familydiscussions, so long as parents watch the shows with their children. You canfind out why children like certain programs and don't like others. What seems"real* to them? What doesn't? You may be surprised by what they have to say. On stage and off, clear dialogue isauential. So use Talking With TV to help spark communication that encourages youngpeople to share their opinions. Offer the kids you care about constnictiveguidance, and take time to learn from them, too. That's what this mom tries todo at work and at home! eseLtda___ 2 TV, Our Children and Sex Television is everywherein our an adult world thatis generally homes, our schools, our captivating and uncomplicated. workplaces. We organize living Material goods are easy to come by rooms and life'sdaily routines and most problems can be resolved around it. It has become, in less in 24 minutes, allowing time for than 50 years, an omnipresent commercials. source of informationabout Sexual Messages human nature. Unmatched by any Children learn about the other communications medium, mechanics of sex from parents and television helps shape national andpeers, sexuality educationin international events, provoke socialschools, sometimes from books and change and influence the thinking magazines. 'From television, they and purchasing habits of viewers. learn about sexual expression. "Are you watching TV again?" though they don't always recognize Children in this country spend what they're learning. Dress, more time tunedinto TV than theydialogue, even sight gags send spend at school or interacting withobvious messages, but other signals their friends and family. Many are more subtle: thequirk of an adults encourage reading, sports, eyebrow, laughter, background studies and other activities as music, cantra angles, even the alternatives to "the tube," and theykinds of cars characters drive and try to limit children'sviewing whether and how a person drinks hoursone inventive parent alcohol or smokes cigarettes. markets an automatic shut-off TV's messages about sexuality timer he devised. But so long as are often misguided,like this society remains infatuated with TV,familiar theme: Sex is best so too will youngpeople. practiced by beautiful young Adults who live or work with people; older or fat characters who youth cannot help but worry aboutwish to engage in sex are funny. the variety of messages TV Though wrong, these messages programs andcommercials send affect young people. children. Researchers are just Adult.s, meanwhile, worry about beginning to document what the explosion of sexual content on parents and youth-serving television and its relationship to professionals observe frequently: sexual activity, unintended much of what children learn aboutadolescent pregnancies and the world of adults comes from sexually transmitted diseases television. including HIV infection and AIDS. What they learn is often misleading. Television shows are meant to entertain, sothey present 3 How to Make TV an Ally An Awakening The Best Strategies Thankfully, quality entertainment It is up to adults