News Archive 2011
Headlines
- Media needs new complaints body - DomPost letter by John Terris - 31 December 2011
- Law Commission Report: The News Media meets 'New Media' - 12 December 2011
- BSA criticised for refusing name suppression - 29 November 2011
- Kidzone Magic Desktop is huge success - November 2011
- Kids have sophisticated online lives - 26 November 2011
- Pornography project given $790,000 - 25 November 2011
- How much is too much television? - 23 November 2011
- Bill to ban junk food ads [Australia] - 20 November 2011
- President's Report to 2011 AGM - 9 November 2011
- 2011 AGM - 9 November 2011
- The pitfalls of kids and television - 13 October 2011
- How to tackle cyber bullies - 13 October 2011
- Kids on the internet - 13 October 2011
- Case Against the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 8 September 2011
- Racism online may become illegal in NZ - 24 August 2011
- Video game violence: a parent's perspective - 23 August 2011
- Violent video games: fun hobby or mass murder training tool? - 23 August 2011
- Big money for Telecom ad gaffe - 19 August 2011
- Pedantic Wellington viewer fined - 15 August 2011
- Press Release: BSA fines complainant Donald McDonald - 14 August 2011
- 'Super VIP' Child Porn Ring Busted - 3 August 2011
- Editorial: One Born Every Minute, by Media Matters President John Terris - 3 August 2011
- Facebook to become R18 in Australia? - 22 July 2011
- Australia closer to R18+ rating for video games - 22 July 2011
- Sex, drama and a video game - 8 July 2011
- 'Porn' game rated M - 8 July 2011
- Editorial: TV violence - 17 June 2011
- Doctor's violence cure: No TV - 17 June 2011
- The TV watershed: not in front of the children (Comment) - 8 June 2011
- Facebook pro-bullying page blasted by parents, students - 7 June 2011
- Facebook pre-teen move gets 'like' tick - 25 May 2011
- Editorial: Keeping safe in a virtual world - 22 May 2011
- Social media danger a click away - 26 April 2011
- Survey shows fear of internet predators - 19 April 2011
- Parents tame the web - 14 April 2011
- Apology 'lacked substance and sincerity' - 27 March 2011
- New Zealand's internet filter goes live - 11 March 2011
- Information and Communication. At What Cost? - 7 March 2011
- Quake TV may disturb children - 28 February 2011
- Sex scene complaints not upheld - 28 February 2011
- Christchurch quake - 22 February 2011
- Australian Parents concerned about media impact on children - 17 February 2011
- EU Reps Side With Internet Rights on Child Porn Blocking - 16 February 2011
- Baby advert disregarded safety advice authority - 15 February 2011
- Obesity link to TV in child's bedroom - 14 February 2011
- Parents take revenge on cyber bullies - 5 February 2011
- TV Rules and Internet Policy for kids - 27 January 2011
- How can I get my children to spend less time watching TV? - 25 January 2011
- Facebook – friend or foe? - 13 January 2011
- Child Porn Blocking Won't Work, Says Euro ISPs - 13 January 2011
- European Parliament Considers Web Blocking - 11 January 2011
- Shortland Street's eating disorder link - 10 January 2011
- Now's the time to regulate Internet pornography - 9 January 2011
- NZ websites being targeted by child porn peddlers - 8 January 2011
Media needs new complaints body - DomPost letter - 31 December 2011
I'd like to thank Unicef NZ's Dennis McKinlay for his timely observations about online child abuse (Features, Dec 27). I'd add two things.
First, he mentions the need for international co-operation; ...
[
Read full letter by John Terris ... ]
Features, 27 December 2011 - Related article:
Searching for ways to prevent online child abuse
DomPost Online | Tuesday, 27 December 2011
By Dennis McKinlay
OPINION: How do we tackle online child sexual abuse while still giving young people access to the internet? It's a thorny problem, but some thought is starting to sort fact from the emotion that has accompanied this debate. [ Read full article ... ]
Law Commission Report: The News Media meets 'New Media' - 12 December 2011
On 12 December 2011, the NZ Law Commission issued a report on the future of media regulation: The News Media meets 'New Media': Rights, Responsibilities and Regulation in the Digital Age.
This report was requested by former Minister Simon Power, in which he referred to some media as being a sort of Wild West, without law and without restraint of any kind. His concern relates to what is termed the Blogosphere, and also to activities such as cyber-stalking, and Internet pornography.
We regard this as an excellent initiative, since it seeks to address many of the issues which we have been calling for consideration of for the past several years. Indeed the term "Wild West" was originally coined by us in a submission on the subject to a seminar hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in 2009.
Public Submissions are called for, with the deadline being Monday 12 March 2012. As the only viewer advocacy group in NZ, we will be making a submission and encouraging others to do the same.
Please review this report and make your own submission (reference NZLC IP27).
[ Law Commission Report ... ]
[ References in the media to this review ... ]
BSA criticised for refusing name suppression - 29 November 2011
The Broadcasting Standards Authority is being criticised for refusing name suppression to a complainant.
It was in relation to a programme on the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra screened on Prime, which included references to sexual activity and bodily functions.
The complainants asked for name suppression but were denied it.
Kidzone Magic Desktop is huge success - November 2011
In August [2011], TVNZ launched an innovative computer desktop designed specifically for children through an extension of its Kidzone24 television brand Kidzone Magic Desktop.
The Kidzone Magic Desktop software was designed to provide safe internet access and secure email plus games, music and learning activities.
And the programme appears to be striking a chord with Kiwi parents. After three months on the market, more than 10,000 downloads for the software have been commenced.
Kids have sophisticated online lives - 26 November 2011
SOCIAL PAGES: New Zealand children are pretty savvy about the internet.
More than half of New Zealand children are "social media adults" before they reach their teens, an internet security firm says.
The digital diaries project, commissioned by antivirus and internet security company AVG Technologies, found 64 per cent of Kiwi children had similar online habits to mature adults by the age of 11.
Pornography project given $790,000 - 25 November 2011
Auckland researchers have been awarded almost $800,000 to study pornography.
The $790,000 study by University of Auckland staff will look at the relationship between pornographic movies and people's real lives, examine our views on it, how it reflects and impacts society, and will include studies on young men and women, an art exhibition, an interactive website and a public symposium.
The project is one of 88 nationwide to receive a slice of $53.8 million handed out in Marsden Fund Grants last month.
How much is too much television? - 23 November 2011
CHEAP SEATS: Children are sometimes encouraged to watch TV, rather than engage in sports because of affordability.
Kiwis are watching more than three hours of television a day but parents are being encouraged to switch it off and get their children involved in physical activities instead.
A survey from Nielsen shows Kiwis' total television watching has increased over the past decade.
Across the board, average TV minutes have risen more than 20 per cent, from 168 minutes in 2000 to 202 minutes a day in 2010.
Bill to ban junk food ads [Australia] - 20 November 2011
![Bill to ban junk food ads [Australia]](images/SMH_20111120_junk_food_ads_250px.jpg "Bill to ban junk food ads [Australia]")
No change ... a recent study revealed children were being exposed to the same number of junk food ads on television despite the fast food industry's introduction of voluntary rules about marketing products to children.
FAST food advertisements would be completely banned on children's television channels, websites and smartphones under new proposals to curb childhood obesity.
The Greens leader, Bob Brown, will introduce a private member's bill into the Senate tomorrow that would beef up previous attempts to stop junk food ads from being screened on free-to-air television.
President's Report to 2011 AGM
John Terris (left) with Rajan Prasad (Labour)
Our 2011 AGM was held in Lower Hutt on Wednesday, 9 November 2011.
John Terris, President of Media Matters, presented his report.
A Vote of Thanks was given to Adrian Cooper, who is standing down after being our secretary for 5 years.
Following the AGM, members had a chance to meet representatives from political parties and hear their broadcasting policies for the 2011 election.
The panel participants were Rajan Prasad (Labour), Jonathan Fletcher (National) and Tane Woodbury (Greens).
Read the President's Report to AGM, 9 November 2011.
2011 AGM - 9 November 2011
Dear Friends of Media Matters
We are advising you of the 2011 Annual General Meeting which begins at 7 pm before the politicians panel.
Please come if you can.
This is an election year and as our politicians gather to play Tweedledum and Tweedledee, we know that they probably don't care too much what we think, since we are a minority of people in this country, those few who are not just struck dumb by TV, but who also recognise its dangers, especially its threat to the well-being of the young and vulnerable in our society.
John Terris
Media Matters President
The pitfalls of kids and television - 13 October 2011
There’s no nice way to say it - advertising influences children and advertisers spend big dollars buying your child's attention.
They also understand that pester power will get many parents to buy things they have no desire to purchase.
Children are particularly vulnerable to food advertising, which, more than toys and games, they view as something that you may be likely to buy them.
How to tackle cyber bullies - 13 October 2011
One in 10 kids experience cyber bullying, and that number is on the rise. What can parents do to stop or prevent this?
With more and more social networking happening online, it's understandable how the incidence of cyber-bullying has increased.
But it's not acceptable, and parents need to play a large role in preventing and combating this form of bullying.
Kids on the internet - 13 October 2011
How can I teach my child to be net-savvy?
Be confident with the internet – you should be comfortable enough with the technology that you can keep track of what your child is doing on the computer.
Ask your child’s school about their information technology policy – and consider putting it in place at home.
Case Against the Broadcasting Standards Authority - 8 September 2011
John Terris
The case against the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) for their dereliction in fining one of our members, Donald McDonald, for making a complaint of inaccuracy against TVNZ news, has been widely upheld by Russell Brown (Media7), Brian Edwards (Media Commentator), and the Science Media Centre (composed of some of our top scientists).
You can read further about this elsewhere on our website [see links], or go to Brianedwardsmedia.co.nz.
We are keen for the BSA's decision to be tested in court ....
Read full article ...
Related articles
Racism online may become illegal in NZ - 24 August 2011
Posting racist or xenophobic messages on the internet and Holocaust denial could be illegal if New Zealand signs up to a international cyber-crime agreement.
Justice Minister Simon Power and Police Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced a three-year plan to crack down on international organised crime. One proposal involves the Government signing the Council of Europe Cyber Crime Convention, also known as the Budapest Convention.
A protocol of the convention requires nations to make "the dissemination of racist and xenophobic material through computer systems" a crime. It also makes denial or justification of the Holocaust and other verified genocides illegal.
Video game violence: a parent's perspective - 23 August 2011
Are violent video games a fun hobby or a mass murder training tool?
I often get asked by Master Game Junkie, who's 12, whether he's allowed to play shooting games like Halo and Battlefield 2. Much to his disappointment, I say no.
There's a great read over at the Sydney Morning Herald today by Mark Dapin that investigates whether violent video games are a fun hobby or a mass murder training tool. I suggest that every parent who has a games console or computer in the house reads it. In fact, everyone should read it, even those people who condem video games for causing all of society's ills.
Read full article ...
Related article
Violent video games: fun hobby or mass murder training tool? - 23 August 2011
Are violent computer games simply a fun pastime, or do they cause some players to become mass murderers? Mark Dapin, father of a six-year-old boy who loves to "shoot 'em up", investigates for the Good Weekend magazine.
Big money for Telecom ad gaffe - 19 August 2011
Former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick, who was to front the campaign, first asked if it had the backing of the All Blacks.
The defunct "Abstain for the Game" campaign probably cost Telecom hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop, say industry insiders.
The campaign, fronted by former All Black Sean Fitzpatrick, was to run during the Rugby World Cup urging All Blacks supporters to abstain from sex.
Telecom cancelled the promotion yesterday after a strong reaction from the public.
Pedantic Wellington viewer fined - 15 August 2011
A Wellington man has been fined $50 for a "frivolous and trivial" complaint that alleged TVNZ inaccurately reported the distance of a supernova star from Earth.
An item on One News, broadcast in January, reported that a supernova discovered by a 10-year-old Canadian girl was in a galaxy 240 light years away. The correct distance is 240 million light years.
The complainant said our planet would have been burnt to a crisp if a supernova was only 240 light years away.
TVNZ acknowledged the mistake but did not uphold the man's complaint ....
Press Release: BSA fines complainant Donald McDonald - 14 August 2011
It appears from its decision in respect of a complaint from one of our members, Donald McDonald, a retired scientist, about news accuracy, which has resulted in its effectively fining Mr McDonald for having the temerity to complain, that the Broadcasting Standards Authority has relinquished any claim to credibility as a monitor of standards in NZ Broadcasting.
Read full Press Release ...
Read BSA decision 2011-020
'Super VIP' Child Porn Ring Busted - 3 August 2011
Members used encryption programmes to avoid detection
US officials have broken an international child porn ring that elevated members to 'Super VIP' when they uploaded images considered to be the most depraved.
Authorities said 72 bulletin board members of Dreamboard have been charged with participating in the online international network engaged in sexual abuse of children that stretched from North America to Europe, Asia and Africa.
Editorial: One Born Every Minute - 3 August 2011
By Media Matters President, John Terris
John Terris
When will they ever learn? I asked myself this as I sat down to watch TV One News on Tuesday, and the lead item was about how a senior cop had been given a traffic fine of $120, which he had paid. This is news, I asked myself?
Other major news stories in the first 10 minutes of this bulletin included revelations about a senior naval officer getting drunk after 5 months duty in Afghanistan, and a story about a black Jersey being adopted for one game of the World Cup by the England Rugby team. What a sacrilege, I hear you cry!
There is a saying about successful politicians being those who under-promise and over-deliver. Our TV stations do the reverse.
Facebook to become R18 in Australia? - 22 July 2011
Ways to force Facebook to give parents access to their kids' profiles will be discussed today by Australian state and federal attorneys-general in a meeting that will also examine an 18+ Facebook age limit.
The idea was first proposed by a South Australian Family First MP, Dennis Hood, and is being championed by South Australian Attorney-General John Rau. Rau argued that giving parents assistance to supervise their children on Facebook would help protect against online predators and limit access to unsuitable material.
But Susan McLean, who was Victoria Police's first cyber safety officer and is now an online safety consultant, said the proposal was "ill-informed and it shows a total lack of understanding of what the internet is".
Australia closer to R18+ rating for video games - 22 July 2011
Eight of Australia's nine Attorney-Generals unanimously agreed "in principle" to introduce an R18+ classification for video games in Australia, the country's Home Affairs Minister announced today.
Up until now, Australia has only had a top classification of MA15+, which has led to many games that would have been rated R18+ being banned or heavily censored in the country.
Sex, drama and a video game - 8 July 2011
Dead or Alive: Dimensions -
Nintendo 3DS game
OPINION: The sex and nudity bandwagon is on the roll again as a game, that sold out in Hamilton and touted as featuring 'child porn', gets reclassified with an 'M' rating.
*Cue moral outrage*
Dead or Alive: Dimensions, a Nintendo 3DS game, was ripped from the shelves of gaming stores in Europe following the moral outrage of a forum post.
'Porn' game rated M - 8 July 2011
A video game containing violence and partial nudity has had its PG rating upgraded to an M classification by chief censor Andrew Jack.
Nintendo's 3DS game Dead or Alive: Dimensions bypassed New Zealand classification as it had already been classified PG overseas despite it not being sold in parts of Europe because of concerns it breached child pornography laws.
Dr Jack called the game in for re-classification last month after the Waikato Times alerted his office to its content. He subsequently issued an instruction that copies must carry an M label and a note indicating it contains violence and nudity.
Editorial: TV violence - 17 June 2011
For nearly 20 years, we (Media Matters Inc) have been campaigning against TV violence.
Now comes confirmation from on-the-ground research in NZ that our worst fears have been realised.
Our kids are becoming more violent.
What can you do?
- Support our AO Campaign
- Write your local MP and ask what he, she is going to do about it.
Now read more about this research ...
Doctor's violence cure: No TV - 17 June 2011
Study author says NZ is more violent for children than realised, and parents can take action to help. [Photo: Thinkstock]
The author of a landmark study of violence against children says the easiest way for parents to do something about it is to turn off violent television shows.
The study of 2077 children aged 9 to 13 found that New Zealand "appears to be a more violent country for children than was previously realised".
The TV watershed: not in front of the children (Comment) - 8 June 2011
David Cameron [British Prime Minister] wants broadcasters to keep TV clean before 9pm but he's fighting a losing battle - technology has made traditional family viewing a thing of the past.
Pushing the boundaries:
Christina Aguilera on the X Factor final in December 2010.
[Photo: Ken McKay/ TalkbackThames/ Rex F]
Following controversy over highly sexualised routines featuring the pop stars during last year's final of The X Factor on ITV1 - an early-evening show that is known to be one of the few modern series watched by families together - David Cameron has given broadcasters here four months to improve their policing of the 9pm "watershed", the regulatory boundary before which explicit material has traditionally not been screened. ...
... the problem with all attempts at moral enforcement in broadcasting now is that they are based on an out-dated model of viewing and listening: of a family sitting round a TV set or wireless, switching on a programme at the time the programme-makers decided.
Facebook pro-bullying page blasted by parents, students - 7 June 2011
[Photo: Facebook]
A Facebook page set up to bully an Otumoetai College student was taken down on Saturday night after causing an internet furore.
The page, called "Putting your stick away after a hard day of being a social outcast", appeared to have been set up by a fellow student and included a photograph of the boy.
... But the tone of the page changed abruptly after supporters and anti-bullying campaigners took to Facebook to criticise it.
A friend of the boy's mother used the Trade Me message boards to ask people to contact Facebook to have the page removed.
Facebook pre-teen move gets 'like' tick - 25 May 2011
Parenting and internet safety groups have welcomed Facebook's move to alter the site's regulations to permit children under 13 to join.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told an education forum in the US that he wanted to allow 10 to 13-year-olds to use the social networking site as a "study tool".
He assured that the company would take a lot of precautions ....
Editorial: Keeping safe in a virtual world - 22 May 2011
Natalia Burgess.
[Photo: Jason Dorday]
Barely a decade ago the word "virtual" was harmless. It meant "almost", as in "the job is virtually done".
Since the development of social networking, especially Facebook, which in January reported the active membership of almost one in 10 human beings, it has developed a wider application: virtual is the word applied to something that exists online rather than in the real world.
Social media danger a click away - 26 April 2011
Out in the open: Melissa Juzva's children Noah, 8, and Brianna, 11, have restricted online use. Picture: Scott McNaughton
A LEADING child psychologist says most teenagers are completely ignorant of the dangers of social media and is calling on north-west parents to be more vigilant about their children's internet use.
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said most young people didn't realise they could be breaching laws when they posted photographs and videos or made comments about others on sites like Facebook and Myspace.
Survey shows fear of internet predators - 19 April 2011
Martin Cocker, Netsafe Executive Director
Becoming the target of an internet predator is the biggest concern for New Zealanders according to a survey about online security.
Netsafe found 75% of respondents to its recent survey were concerned about falling victim to a scam artist while online.
The findings come as police search for a woman who used Facebook to groom schoolboys in an elaborate scam that had many parents fooled.
Read full article ...
View TV ONE's Close Up video ...
View TV ONE's Breakfast video ...
Parents tame the web - 14 April 2011
THINK OF THE CHILDREN: Read the top ten tips for keeping your kids safe on the World Wide Web.
[See the list]
Evenings at the Svanascini home in Palos Heights, Illinois, Kathy, Mike and their two teenage sons are as likely to be huddled around their laptops as they are the television set.
With Mike running a family web development company, the internet is an inescapable presence in their lives, and Kathy worries, like most parents these days, about how to keep her kids safe while they're on it.
So there are rules ....
Apology "lacked substance and sincerity" - 27 March 2011
Last week, after several hundred complaints to TVNZ and several months of waiting following the racist insults leveled at our governor general by their ex-breakfast host Paul Henry ("Not a New Zealander" etc), the Broadcasting Standards Authority, that bastion of standards on NZ TV, delivered itself of its judgement:– Mr Henry's apology, they found, "lacked substance and sincerity".
Now won't that create havoc in the corridors of TVNZ – or is it more likely to provoke gales of laughter? In other words, is this likely to be perceived to be a penalty, or a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket?
Why doesn't the BSA get it? Their job is to enforce standards, in a a climate in which the broadcasters like TVNZ are interested in only one thing – making money.
It follows that telling them off, is not going to hack it. Why not a monetary penalty? That should get them to smarten up. Why not fine them, say $500,000 for such an infraction (it is serious, after all, for the state broadcaster to permit one of their employees to insult the highest office in the land). After all, it's been done before, and to telling effect.
Otherwise, what's to stop the broadcasters from offending time and again, as indeed Henry did before he was finally shown the door?
We ask: "Why is the BSA so gutless in enforcing our need for better standards on New Zealand television?
John Terris, Media Matters President
New Zealand's internet filter goes live - 11 March 2011
The
Department of Internal Affairs' (DIA)
internet filter is now operational and is being used by internet providers (ISPs) Maxnet and Watchdog.
Thomas Beagle, spokesperson for online freedom lobby Tech Liberty says he's "very disappointed that the filter is now running, it's a sad day for the New Zealand internet".
Information and Communication. At What Cost? - 7 March 2011
By Media Matters member, Marris Weight
Marris Weight
The internet is playing an increasingly important role in the flow and communication of information.
Many countries are implementing frameworks as a means of ensuring that technological advances are not made to the detriment of the wellbeing of individuals or at the expense of certain segments of society.
This is consistent with the Child Online Protection guidelines issued by the International Telecommunications Union.
The guidelines state that the strategic objective for the internet industry for child internet safety should be to reduce the availability of, and restrict access to, harmful or illegal content and conduct.
In New Zealand this framework takes the form of a voluntary code of practice …
Quake TV may disturb children - 28 February 2011
Rotorua parents have been warned not to let their children watch too much graphic information about the Christchurch earthquake.
Many Rotorua school children have held one-minute silences for the victims.
Some have raised money for the victims and plan to host Christchurch children in their own homes, as they learn of the tragedy. And many others are planning to do their bit to help.
However, a psychologist warned adults to limit what their children saw on television.
Sex scene complaints not upheld - 28 February 2011
Three separate complaints made against television channels for broadcasting scenes of a sexual nature have not been upheld by the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA).
Christchurch quake - 22 February 2011
Adrian Cooper
The situation for our Media Matters Secretary, Adrian Cooper and his sister Antoinette, who are in Kaiapoi and whose house has suffered extensive damage, has been and continues to be quite difficult.
I have offered to have them to stay with us in Wellington for a week or two just to get a break away but they are detemined to soldier on.
Two young students from Villa Maria College in the city have been researching TV Violence as a project with our help, and have had their work interrupted but are back online again and so we wish them well.
At this time we want to let our members in Christchurch know that we are thinking of them and especially those whose family or friends are bereaved.
The 'quake has left its mark on us all and for many years to come the question many New Zealanders meeting for the first time will ask one another, will be "Where were you when the Quake struck?"
TV has done a good job of coverage, particularly TV1 although, some people may agree with critics that some of the images have been highly gratuitous and unneccesarily intrusive on people's private grief and suffering.
The difference between what we have been seeing from Christchurch and what we campaign against, is that Christchurch is not contrived for the purpose of titillation or voyeurism, so as to be able to sell more soap or hair product, but is actually happening.
In that sense, there is in the midst of the horror of the earthquake and its aftermath, a rediscovery of something which television helps us to lose because it isolates us in our homes in front of an electronic box, and that is a rediscovery of our need for community, for each other.
John Terris, Media Matters President
Australian Parents concerned about media impact on children - 17 February 2011
A survey of 6,000 Australian parents has revealed a deep concern about the impact of media and technology on the wellbeing of their children.
The Australian Government funded study found 96% of parents surveyed were particularly concerned about the content of television shows and instituted their own rules about what their children could and could not watch.
EU Reps Side With Internet Rights on Child Porn Blocking - 16 February 2011
A European Parliament decision on Monday to remove child pornography images at the source rather than promote Web blocking has been hailed as a success by Internet rights activists.
Members of the Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee ruled that complete removal "at source" must be the main aim in tackling child pornography online and that blocking access to websites is acceptable only in exceptional circumstances -- when the host server in a non-E.U. country refuses to cooperate or when procedures take too long.
Baby advert disregarded safety advice authority - 15 February 2011
The ad screened at a time when the majority of viewers were likely to have been young mothers.
A complaint against a television advertisement that showed a baby lying face down has been upheld because the baby's position could lead to cot death.
The Advertising Standards Authority found the advertisement was in breach of its code of ethics because it showed a situation that encouraged a disregard for safety.
Obesity link to TV in child's bedroom - 14 February 2011
Children with a TV in their bedroom watch an extra 15 minutes a day compared to those without, experts have said.
A study of 12- to 15-year-olds found having a TV pushed up overall viewing time, while parents who watched a lot of TV tended to have children who watched more.
Parents take revenge on cyber bullies - 5 February 2011
NEW FRONT: The nature of bullying has changed with the rise of technology.
More parents are becoming involved in cyber-bullying, taking up disputes involving their children, a federal [Australian] parliamentary committee has been told.
Phil Lewis, an Adelaide high school principal and a representative for Catholic principals across South Australia, said cyber-bullying involving students was a major distraction for teachers.
But he said a growing problem was the incidence of parents joining in on a dispute over the internet.
TV Rules and Internet Policy for kids - 27 January 2011
TV, the Internet, and interactive video games have changed the way children play and learn. But how much is too much, and how can parents monitor children and guide them to the best content?
For starters, "the computer, TV, and video games should be in a public place if that's possible," says Richard Gallagher, PhD, director of special projects at the Institute for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Behavior Disorders and assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University Medical Center.
How can I get my children to spend less time watching TV? - 25 January 2011
Many parents report children being irritable or cranky when they interrupt their TV viewing.
My two sons (aged five and seven years) would watch TV all day if I let them. This has been particularly the case over Christmas. This leads to battles as I try to get them to switch it off and do something else more healthy. My seven year old in particular seems to be addicted and he gets into a real strop when I turn it off. Do you think TV is addictive? And how much TV should I let them watch or should I get rid of it altogether?
Answer:
Managing television viewing and deciding just how much is okay are common dilemmas for parents. It is a confusing issue as there are benefits as well as negatives to watching TV, and a lot depends on what is watched as well as how much time is spent watching it.
Facebook – friend or foe? - 13 January 2011
The average Facebooker has 135 friends.
WHEN my family told me I should become a Facebooker, I thought, why not? Nearly everyone else I know is and I wanted to be up to date with gossip.
Through Facebook you can find friends, get involved in lengthy debates, offer parenting advice and keep up to date with current issues and trends.
But Facebook is also fraught with danger ....
Child Porn Blocking Won't Work, Says Euro ISPs - 13 January 2011
The EU's attempts to get all member states to block porn at ISP level would do little to stop the problem, the European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA) has said.
According to EuroISP president, Malcolm Hutty, the Directive on child exploitation, due to be voted on by the Parliament next month, blocking would only distract from the bigger issue of removing the imagery from host servers.
"In order to make the Directive as strong as possible, emphasis must be placed on making swift notice and take-down of child sexual abuse material focused and effective," Hutty was reported to have said.
European Parliament Considers Web Blocking - 11 January 2011
Members of the European Parliament Monday prepared their position on whether mandatory E.U.-wide Web blocking of certain sites should be introduced, prompting concern from digital rights groups.
"The blocking of access shall be subject to adequate safeguards, in particular to ensure that the blocking is limited to what is necessary, that users are informed of the reasons for the blocking and that content providers, as far as possible, are informed of the possibility of challenging it ...."
Shortland Street's eating disorder link - 10 January 2011
A link between television viewing and teenage girl eating disorders is so strong that even girls that do not have access to TV can pick up problems through friends who do, a major Harvard Medical School study of Fiji girls reveals.
If a girl's friends watched television she had a 60 per cent increase in the odds of having a high level of eating disorder symptoms, independent of her own viewing.
Now's the time to regulate Internet pornography - 9 January 2011
During World War II the U.S. government supplied tobacco to our troops. By 1964, 46 percent of adults in this nation smoked—including inside public buildings, during commercial flights, and on televised advertisements.
Today less than 20 percent of adults in the U.S. smoke. Over the last half century, scientific research, governmental legislation, and public information campaigns have combined to alter our society's perspective on smoking. While tobacco usage remains legal, what once was widely regarded as a harmless pleasure is now deemed an addictive health hazard.
The Witherspoon Institute (TWI) recently declared what we have done with tobacco must now be done with Internet pornography.
NZ websites being targeted by child porn peddlers - 8 January 2011
New Zealand is among 30 countries being targeted by child porn peddlers who are setting up links on business websites that click through to child abuse material.
