By JOANNE RICHARD, the ExpositorSpreading swine flu. The abduction of eight-year-old Tori Stafford. Soldiers dying in Afghanistan. Record-breaking unemployment and bankruptcy.
The big bad news, like a scary monster, slays its way into our children's psyche.
Menacing images and information confront children with unrelenting immediacy, detail and vividness, leaving some distressed, emotionally wounded and fearful.
"It's scary times out there for kids -- the issues are all so threatening," says Dr. Joanne Cantor.
"TV news is not appropriate for kids of any age -- or even adults! It's presented in the most sensational, traumatic and speculative way... and kids are really sensitive to the images of tragedy and distress."
For some children, fears can remain for years, says Cantor, a leading researcher on the impact of media on children. "These TV images are really powerful and can cause sleep disturbances and anxieties -- it's not good for them at all."
The multi-media news machine is insatiable, indiscriminate and unstoppable, so what's a parent to do?
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