Screen Smarts: Raising Media-Literate Kids

by Gloria Degaetano

Television, video games, and on-line media are now a fact of life for our children, whose developing minds and bodies are particularly vulnerable to their power. This vulnerability has sparked a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395715504
• ISBN13: 9780395715505
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Control your enviroment or it will control you!

Have you ever wondered what the effects of a media-centered world can have on a child? Gloria De Gaetano tells us her ideas in her book called Screen Smarts. Childhood is a fundamental time of development for the human brain. In our formative years we learn the necessary thinking skills to function in life, ie: problem solving, eye-hand coordination, critical thinking, etc. We develop these skills through everyday things that children do in play. However, things are changing. A lot of children's spare time is spent watching TV, playing video games, or using the computer. This means less time is spent exercising ( children today are more out of shape than ever before) or creative activities. The less time spent in tactile exploration of the sensory world ( real life), the harder it is for the brain to develop certain areas. Looking at two-dimensional screen images is much different than actually experiencing 3-D activities, which is what the brain needs. Gloria encourages parents to turn off the TV a little more and to do something like read a book with their children. All of this may seem some-what depressing to the average parent living in today's world. Time and energy is not easy to come by. So Gloria also suggests some ways to make TV viewing more beneficial to a small, developing brain. Treat a TV program as you would a book. Ask the child what they think the show will be about at the beginning. When something important is about to happen, mention the music or something else pertaining to the event. Ask the child what they think is going to happen next. At the end of a program, go back to what they thought it was going to be about at the beginning of the show. Discuss the differences and the similarities, even talk about what the outcome might have been if something happened differently. Of course different kinds of questions would be asked and discussed with different age groups. This thoughtful discussion helps the child to actually think, analyze, and predict what they are watching. I suggest Gloria's book to anyone. It is very interesting and you can learn so much from it. Becoming media literate is a smart thing to do...Control your environment or it will control you!

This book is much needed in today's world.

An easily readable documentation on the problems and solutions involving video and screen technologies. Screen Smarts is under-appreicated and ahead of its time. It is a must read for any parent, educator, or any socially conscious person.

Fantastic book for raising children in media age.

This book reveals insights on understanding the effects of television on your children. DeGaetano is a suberb author. Screen Smarts is the most informative book on the subject matter.