Our Head of English, Mr Dale Kelly has put together a blog post about how we can encourage our children to be image wise. Do you know what your children are watching while they are spending a lot of time at home?
What are your children watching?
- By Mr Dale Kelly, Head of English
COVID-19 and the idea that children may be spending a lot of time at home has prompted me to reflect on what our children are watching. It is important that we educate our children about the dangers of seeing too much too soon. We already live in a society where images are shared as part of our daily narrative – so how are we encouraging our children to be image wise?
Common Sense Media is a non-profit organisation that provides education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children. They focus on the idea that “Transparency on social media is critical for a more informed experience for our kids, and all consumers, online. It’s critical that tech platforms are clear about the source of the content they publish and that news literacy is a priority.”
When your children ask you if they can watch something, head to https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
You can read what other parents think of the film. You can read reviews from other children. You can, in a snapshot, see what themes are being explored in the film. Common Sense Media provide their own age appropriate guide for the film, so you get a better idea of why they have chosen that age.
Use this fantastic resource with your children. Encourage them to look up the film on Common Sense Media so you can have a conversation with them about what they wish to watch and the merits thereof.
Hopefully this tool can support your children to understand that restrictions are not punitive but rather supportive of their development.
Happy viewing.
Mr Dale Kelly
Head of English