What is Television doing to young children...
What's the long-term physiological effects on those who are raised on Modern Media?
"WORLD NEWS VERSUS TEDDY BEARS"
A slice of Life by V. Bee

October 7th, 2005


A couple of days ago, I was talking to my eldest son over the telephone.  We usually call one another at least twice a month to make sure the family is well.  As I’ve probably mentioned previously, he and his family live in New York City, not very far from where the World Trade Center once stood.  We normally ring each other late at night, not only so we can take advantage of the lower call rates, but also - more importantly - so small “ears” don’t overhear things they shouldn’t hear during the course of our conversation.

That said, during our dialogue, we both had been watching television.  Once we began talking on the phone, neither one of us was paying much attention to what was being shown on our respective television screens.  Although he is in New York and I in Chicago, we both happened to have “world news tonight,” on which the narrator was talking about the latest bombing/casualties in Iraq.  The narrator’s voice was softly audible in the background.  So we were both startled when we heard a small voice. “Daddy! those people on TV are sad!”

My son turned around, and there stood my 3½-year old grandson in the doorway between the hallway and living room.  I could picture him standing there, holding onto his ever-present Teddy Bear that never went anywhere without.  My son hurriedly said to me, “Hold on a minute, Mom.”  I pictured him throwing the phone down. “Joey,” my son said, in a soft voice. “What are you doing out of bed?  Come and sit here.”  Presumably, that would be on my son’s knee.

“I heard all those people on the television, daddy. Why are they sad?” I could visualize my son standing in front of my grandson with that blank look of his when my son is at a loss of an answer to a question.  I heard him pick up the phone from the floor. He sounded frustrated. “Oh man. It took forever to get him into bed; it’ll take forever to get him to go back to sleep.”  I told my son to hand the telephone to my grandson.

“Hi MawMow,” his child’s voice filtered into the mouthpiece.

“Did the noise on the TV scare you Joey?” I asked him.

“Those people were all crying,” he told me in a frightened voice.  I said, “Why do you suppose that is?”

“They’re making loud noises.”   I queried him, “Can you see the hurt people?”

“Daddy turned the television off, MawMow, I can’t see them any more.” Sniffling ceases.

“Oh,” I crooned to him. “Did he do that so you couldn’t see the sad people?” He was quiet.

“Can you pretend MawMow is rocking you in her chair?” I asked him.  “Yes, MawMow.” 

"Are you sleepy again, Joey?” I asked him.  There was a lull of quiet, then Joey’s small voice again, “MawMow, did those people get their own Mr. Teddy Bear so they could be happy, is that why Daddy turned off the TV?”

“You just hold onto that thought, honey,” I said to him softly, “so you and your Mr. Teddy Bear can go back to sleep.”

I heard the phone receiver transfer from Joey to my son’s hand. “I’m going to put Joey back into bed now.” I could hear him gathering the child into his arms.  There was a couple of minutes of silence.  Then, my son’s voice, very quietly and clearly surprised. “Mom.  He’s sleeping...what did you tell him?” I responded, with a smile in my voice, “I told Joey that all the people on the television had gone to bed with their Teddy Bears, and then I rocked him to sleep in my chair.” My son’s voice sounded puzzled. “I remember hearing that a long time ago.... it has a familiar ring.”

Each time a hurt child changes from sad/scared/angry to peaceful in our loving embrace, we are reminded that parent bonding is an affair of the heart.  Children that are left in front of the television, or playing video games, etc., may not be receiving enough devotion/bonding with a parent.  From birth to old age, our physical and emotional health and happiness depends on a constant infusion of love; we are tuned in for it.  Generation to generation, expressions of parent/child love will hopefully always abide ageless and forever be timeless.
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