Non-Fiction (Parenting/Education)
Date Published: November 4, 2020
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Bullying and cyberbullying is on the rise. Face-to-face interpersonal skills are declining. Narcissism is increasing. Not only do studies show these distressing facts to be true, but we see them in the news and in our own lives. Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director of Kidsbridge Tolerance Center, has the answer to these growing problems: teaching our children empathy. In her new book, THE EMPATHY ADVANTAGE: Coaching Children To Be Kind, Respectful and Successful (Rowman & Littlefield; November 4, 2020), Azarchi provides the tools and strategies families can use to give their kids the gift of empathy – simultaneously setting them on the road for a more successful future and changing the world for the better.
Empathy
and Media – 10 Simple Lessons
By
Lynne Azarchi
There’s little
argument that media rules our children’s land. The only thing that varies is
which type of media is used by which age groups. For our younger kids, it’s
television. Kids aged five to eight spend more than an hour in front of the TV
(more time for kids aged two to four).
Teenagers do their viewing online, using services such as Netflix and
YouTube Overall, North American teens
and young adults spend an average of 170 minutes—nearly three hours—per day on
social media.
But is it really such an escape?
Children frequently have their first experience with violence when watching
television or a movie, or playing a video game. This exposure introduces them
early to pain and suffering. So it’s no wonder that they are desensitized to
emotion early. I’m not saying that these shows or video games turn our kids to
violence. But they do desensitize our kids, and we want to reverse that trend
because it crowds out the sensitivity and empathy they need.
Do you ever watch reality shows with
your children in which contestants are humiliated? Remember how Simon Cowell
became a household name with his nasty putdowns of American Idol contestants
that drove them to tears? Ask yourself (and your family) why it’s funny to
watch others’ pain and embarrassment. It’s one thing when others perform silly
antics and want you to laugh. It’s another when they’re singing their hearts
out and then having their hearts broken.
I think there’s a lot to learn from
reality TV. Sit with your family and discuss whether a person’s privacy is
being invaded. Discuss why there is so much humiliation and exclusion shown,
often with a “laugh track.” Would you emulate what you see on TV and repeat it
in your home or classroom? Would you try to embarrass a spouse or a child? Of
course not.
10
Simple Rules for Empathy and Media
- Limit each family member to one
hour a day of media and stick to it (you may want to increase the media
time for tweens and teens).
- Reduce exposure to shows with
violence and negative emotions; in research studies, these shows have been
seen to increase aggression.
3.
Set
a goal of no media one to two hours before bed. Media disrupts sleeping
patterns.
4.
Use
technology to install a software program on tablets and phones that powers them
off. Not because you’re the boss, but because it is good for your children.
5.
Watch
over all devices, including phones, tablets, desktops, TVs, and any other
media. In other words, kids should check them “in” and “out.”
6.
Talk
to your family about social media—especially kindness, respect, and permission.
Rule No. 1: Don’t embarrass others.
7.
No
media during mealtimes. Period.
8.
Be
aware of your own behavior. If you are restricting your kids, you must set
limits for yourself and your spouse. You are a role model.
- Discuss media with your kids.
Watch their favorite shows with them and analyze together what you’re
viewing. Discuss violence, competition, exclusion, and meanness and tell
stories of how kids got in trouble relating to privacy issues.
- Make sure that media content is
developmentally appropriate. Make sure an elementary schooler is not
watching what a teenager would.
This is an adapted excerpt
from THE EMPATHY ADVANTAGE: Coaching Children To Be Kind, Respectful and
Successful by Lynne Azarchi, published by Rowman & Littlefield. © 2020.
About the Author
LYNNE AZARCHI, author of THE EMPATHY ADVANTAGE, is Executive Director of Kidsbridge Tolerance Center outside of Trenton, New Jersey—a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering bullying prevention, anti-bias, diversity appreciation, empathy, and empowerment strategies for youth. She is a tireless advocate for improving the lives of at-risk youth in communities across New Jersey. Kidsbridge helps more than 2,500 preschool, elementary, and middle school students and educators improve their social-emotional skills each year. Azarchi has won many awards and her articles have been published both in newspapers and academic journals. She is a frequent speaker to parent and teacher groups, corporations and major educational conferences.
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