IN TUNE

Pearl of the Day: Monkey See, Undo

Anthony Robbins said the pearl “We aren’t in an information age, we are in an entertainment age." Much of our “information” is gathered and communicated via entertainment which is a huge part of our daily diet.

Entertainment is my personal favorite information delivery method and arguably the most powerful. With just a press of a button, entertainment allows us to explore an emotional range, imaginary worlds, vicarious experiences, consequential examples and possibilities, plus it gives u conversation topics.

What movies, TV, theatre, books, dance, video games, etc. that we expose ourselves and our children and hence absorb is hotly debated and sparks concerns on the balance of what Melissa Van Rossum has called “The Media Diet.”

How much is too much?

Well, is the television always on your house even if you are not watching or you are sleeping? I’m not ashamed to say that I have, on occasion, utilized television as a babysitter where I sit my kids down, crank it up and go about my business.

I admit, I’m an entertainment junky. It’s not only my day job but I’m hooked, can’t get enough and happen to think it’s adorable that my kids spew out movie and TV lines and my daughter sing screams “Boom Boom Pow!”. I love it and love that they love it!

That said, George Lucas will rue the day if ever I run into him in a restaurant as I will definitely send him my bill! Better yet, my kids college tuition. I mean, my son, almost only 4, following in his daddy’s footsteps (he just had to become a rocket scientist after seeing "Star Wars") is now second (if not third) generation of Star Wars mega fans and well, he is a Jedi and now, my daughter, all of 2, is Princess Leia and my house is littered with "Star Wars" memorabilia (e.g. sheets, toys, action figures, light sabers, games, videos, pop up books) and inspired me to consider enrolling my son in a fencing (aka “Light Saber”) class at a few hundred bucks a pop.

However, there may be a causal relationship between entertainment exposure and societal violence.

With the zero-tolerance policy in schools these days, I learned that when you send your kid to school with his "Star Wars" toy blaster that he absolutely refuses to leave home because he sleeps, eats and travels with it and lives and breathes "Star Wars", it doesn’t go over to well. When you laugh and go “oh yea, my boy’s packing heat” well, it’s not funny. After all, “toy weapons may promote aggressive play which is not permitted in schools” and may lead to the suspension of your child. Oh, I learned that after the fact.

So how much entertainment is too much and tips the line into the slippery slope of negativity. For starters, observe how your children absorb and integrate entertainment.

Then adjust and cut the fat out and opt for a more civilized Media Diet to ensure a long happy and positive marriage with infotainment!

Copyright © 2010 Cynthia Litman d/b/a Tigris Imprints. All Rights Reserved.