Questionnaire: Are Your Kids Too Exposed to Adverts?

Today our kids are growing up in a society more media-saturated than ever before – which means they’re more exposed to adverts than any other generation in history.

But how much media exposure is too much – and what can parents do to limit it? Take our short questionnaire and find out. Simply answer each yes/no question honestly and then scroll to the end for some handy hints and tips.

Questionnaire

1. Do you watch TV with your children?
a) All the time.
b) Some of the time.
c) Never.

2. How would you characterise your own media use? (and remember – mobiles/PDAs count as well as the Internet, TV and radio).
a) Heavy – at least three hours a day.
b) Medium – an hour to an hour and a half per day.
c) Light – half an hour or less.

3. When researching topics for their homework do you suggest that your children:
a) Stick to library books.
b) Do their research primarily on the Internet.
c) Use both.

4. How often do you spend time as a family away from the computer or TV?
a) Often – at least a couple of days a week.
b) About once a week.
c) About once a month.

5. Could you imagine spending a week without TV, radio or the Internet.
a) Yes, definitely – it would be a relief!
b) No way!

Reviewing Your Answers

Question one. Though you probably haven’t got the time (or the inclination) to watch TV with your kids all the time, it’s a good idea to get an idea of what they’re watching on the box. That way you can make sure your kids are not tuned to advert-heavy channels – and you can help distract them during the ads too!

Question two. Remember that you are the primary role model for your kids – and that includes media use. If you’re a medium or heavy media user try and have a couple of ‘light’ days per week – you could use the time taking part in a family activity that doesn’t involve the TV or computer.

Question three. The Internet is a great place to learn about the world, but it’s still a commercial arena where children will be exposed to advertising content – even on very factual sites. It pays to let children discover knowledge through books as well as computers because it limits exposure to ads and develops their research skills too.

Question four. If you’ve got into the habit of spending ‘family time’ slumped in front of the TV it can be a difficult habit to break – but it’s well worth doing. Planning a family activity (whether it’s cooking a meal together or just playing a board game) limits exposure to advertising and gives you the time to really communicate with your kids.

Question five. Why not give it a go! A five day media detox could be just the thing if you’re feeling overexposed to adverts. So turn off the computer, unplug the TV and see how you go…