When you have kids in the house, how do you safely introduce them to the world of news and current affairs - including the good and the bad? Photo / Getty Images
When you have kids in the house, how do you safely introduce them to the world of news and current affairs - including the good and the bad? Photo / Getty Images
When people consume news and current affairs, it’s hard to escape tragic events, from natural disasters to acts of terrorism; events that include loss of human life.
But do we stop to consider what distressing media is doing to our kids?
How children are impacted
Research undertaken by the Audience Research Department of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation found young children who are exposed to news and current affairs programmes can be impacted so much that they start viewing the world as a scarier place. Research was undertaken through random telephone interviews with 537 Dutch children, with 48.2 per cent of respondents stating they had a fearful reaction to watching adult news.
The study found children aged between 7-12 were most afraid of interpersonal violence and disasters such as fires and accidents.
Researchers from the study even found children’s symptoms are similar to those exhibited in trauma response - including intruding thoughts (memories that pop into a child’s head, nightmares, repeated discussion around events), avoidance (refusal to talk about news events, or to participate in school activities) and changes to arousal and reactivity (increased irritability and anger outbursts, difficulties in concentrating).
News of real events can impact children in a way that makes them view the world as a scarier place, so their exposure to news should be monitored by parents. Photo / Getty Images
Even subtle exposure needs to be monitored
Even when children are playing in the background, if adults have the news on, children can be listening in.
Children under the age of 7 might not understand the content, which can cause confusion, therefore raising worry and anxiety. This is because children under the age of 7 generally do not have the brain functionality to mentally manipulate information, and can’t see things from another point of view.
Older teens, meanwhile, generally gain much of their news content from the internet and social media, meaning some parents are not aware of how much, or what, they are exposed to. However, due to their age, they are able to have a greater understanding of different perspectives.
Getting the balance right
According to psychological therapist Annie Gurton, different age groups require different strategies when it comes to consuming news and current affairs:
Children under the age of 7 may perceive televised events as live occurrences, leading them to believe traumatic incidents are recurring when they see repeated broadcasts. They are likely to be greatly disturbed by images depicting suffering, crying or violence.
Between 7-12, children tend to grasp that news reports convey events that have already taken place. They are increasingly capable of empathising with victims, and may get anxious about the safety of themselves and their family when encountering distressing stories.
Teenagers aged 13 and older tend to exhibit heightened emotional responses to distressing events, often experiencing fear and deep concern for their and their family’s safety. They may project such events into the future and worry about potential risks. However, they are also capable of reasoning and understanding statistical explanations, which can provide reassurance and alleviate their anxieties.
There is no magic timeframe within which parents should introduce their children to news and current affairs. However, it is important that we consider not just the age but the maturity and level of understanding of individual children.
Giving kids a break from the coverage is essential. Photo / 123RF
Setting a viewing limit of 30-60 minutes before encouraging children to get up and do something else is important.
Chat about it
A perfect opportunity to support children in their quest to know more about the world, without exposing them to the potential downside of the news, is to teach them about why you need to censor their viewing.
This can help teach children to regulate their emotions by expressing themselves when they see things that are upsetting. This might include empathising with young children under the age of 7 by saying something like: “I know you really want to watch the news, but some media can report events that are not safe for you to hear.”
For an older child, it could be: “I am happy for you to watch the ‘good’ news stories, but other events that are televised, we need to watch together.”
The Raising Children Network has some fantastic tips for parents of school-aged children when it comes to distressing news events:
Turn off and take a break - this might mean allowing families 30 minutes to catch up on the main headlines, but then getting up and doing something else.
Age-appropriate information - children will cope better if they have age-appropriate information given to them. For example, during fire season, you might talk to your children about how due to the extreme heat, the ground gets very dry, resulting in an increase in the frequency of fires. This is why we have days when there are total fire bans in place to reduce that risk.
Talk to your children - explain, at an age-appropriate level, what they have watched and allow for open communication about what has happened. Allow them to ask questions and reflect.
Monitor your children’s reactions to the news - ask them how they’re feeling and share how you’re feeling.
A great first step into the world of news and current affairs for children are programmes like the ABC’s Behind The News, as parents and kids can watch together and discuss afterwards.
