The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media's Impact On Our Children FROM OUR EDITORS
Supported by extensive research, The Other Parent is a pioneering book that raises the alarm against the tremendously negative impact the modern media has had on children, the family, and society. Revealing how TV, music, the Internet, and movies bombard our young ones with sexual, commercial, and violent images on a daily basis and how they affect a child's development, the noted professor and author then provides easy, practical measures that parents can take to combat the harmful effects of media saturation. It's an important book that shows the way to raise more constructive, well-adjusted children.
ANNOTATION
Examines how we have allowed media to bombard our children's lives and offers practical advice on countering the incessant parade of images that frighten, intrigue, and influence America's kids.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Kids must have special rules. It is more than naive to pretend that the
market alone will protect them. We recognize this in virtually every sphere of
life. Yet in the media, we have stripped away the very rules created to protect
them, leaving them almost entirely to the profit-driven manipulations of the
free market.
James P. Steyer's explosive investigation into how the media affects our
children is a groundbreaking book that will shock most parents. Through songs on
the radio, Internet access, television, and movies, our kids are learning how to
live in an adult world long before they are ready. They are besieged on a daily
basis by images of sex, commercialism, and violence via such mainstream
programming as Dawson's Creek, films such as American Pie and
The Matrix, and computer games such as Doom and Quake. "This is the new
media reality," Steyer states, "and it is one most parents are not prepared
for."
Steyer examines how we have allowed media to bombard our children's lives and
he offers practical advice on countering the incessant parade of images that
frighten, intrigue, and influence America's kids:
ﾽ Putting your kids on a media
diet
ﾽ Finding alternative activities for them besides
television and the Internet
ﾽ Discovering what they think about the
commercials, programs, and music they encounter on a daily basis
ﾽ Organizing advocacy groups, contacting
government leaders, and boycotting media outlets that target children with
inappropriate content.
The Other Parent is a powerful and provocative book about the media's
incredible impact on our families and our society.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
In this balanced and stimulating study, Steyer, a professor of education and political science at Stanford, CEO and chair of family media company JP Kids, and father of three, addresses the media's influential presence in kids' lives as "the other parent." Without demonizing the media, Steyer offers an in-depth look at the effects of TV, video games, and the Internet on today's kids and explains the lack of social responsibility in many media companies as they cater to stockholders over children. Backing up his convincing argument with dependable statistics, Steyer discusses the consequences of exposure to sex, coarseness, violence, and commercialism long before children are ready to understand them and offers real-world solutions that encourage a more active parental and citizen role. Also included are practical strategies for parents, educators, and even the government. This study successfully tackles a serious issue and as such deserves a place in all public, high school, and academic libraries. Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L. Dist., FL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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