Customer Reviews

The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids

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I picked this book up already convinced that t.v. is basically the worst thing that ever happened to society, so I was skeptical to say the least. However, as the authors state, their intent is to admit that t.v. is here to stay, and for the overwhelming majority, getting totally rid of it would not be an option, and offer guidance in how to make watching it as beneficial as possible.

What this amounts to, it seems, is telling readers that your children under 7 are basically confined to 'Sesame Street', 'Mister Rodger's Neighborhood', 'Blues Clues', and nature shows on Discovery channel. I found their assessment of Sesame Street a little over the top in their praise of its supposed benefits, though later on in the book they admit that merchandising has begun to compromise the integrity of the show and its imitators. The fact is, there are a number of major studies that have directly challenged the ability of shows like Sesame Street to produce real-life results in reading and mathematics, and much of the research the authors cite as supportive of the show was done or funded by the creators of the show themselves, a definite conflict of interest when funding is on the line.

The research on content in terms of sexuality, violence, and materialism that is dealt with is pretty accurate. My biggest disappointment was that the authors failed to spend any real time dealing with the long term effects of visual media on learning ability at the neurological level, a subject that in and of itself makes one quite wary of significant exposure to television. There was maybe a paragraph or two, but that's all.

Overall, the impression I got was that the authors have an underlying uneasiness with the whole idea of t.v., and if they thought enough of their readers would accept it, they'd recommend chucking the thing out the window. However, as stated in the beginning, they know this is impossible, so the book ends up sounding like a hesitant admission of the fact and an almost reluctant setting forth of strategies to overcome the inherent and perisistent flaws of the medium, punctuated here and there by brief offerings of lavish praise for the possibilities of t.v. to expand our horizons and foster meaningful conversation. In short, most chapters give all kinds of wonderful suggestions, but are interspersed with admissions that seem to contradict their earlier celebrations of the potential benefits of television.

Personally, I would still recommend the book since I know also the futility of asking people to abandon t.v. altogether. However, I would strongly urge the reader to also get a copy of 'The Plug-In Drug" by Mary Winn, a book written about ten years ago that comes to the same basic conclusions and recommendations, but is more forthright about the downside of television and the industries it propogates. I find it significant (and revealing), that it was never cited by the authors of this book, considering that it is seen by most who have followed this subject for some time (as the authors obviously have been) as a seminal work. Critics of Winn have labeled her a Luddite, but while she does come off as somewhat hostile toward t.v., she is also realistic and manages to stay objective. It is a necessary companion to this book.

As a pediatrician, I have waited a long time for a resource like The Elephant in the Living Room. It is clearly written, full of balanced and wise advice and invaluable to professionals who care for children and parents, alike. I appreciate the fresh approach to this important topic without preaching or overwhelming the reader with judgment.

At last, a book that helps involved parents make informed and thoughtful decisions about the ubiquitous TV. It's hard to believe that it's taken so long for this type of book to be written, but what a reflief that it finally has. As the father of a lively 6 year old boy, I've yet to come across a book related to parenting that is so readable while being interesting, relevant to day-to-day life, and genuinely useful. It's changed the way I think about TV, and I suspect it will actually improve that life of our family over the long haul (no small claim).

I found this book to offer great practical advice for parents around letting your kids watch TV. It was especially enlightening to read about how TV can impact sleep patterns. I also loved the tips at the end of each chapter. I would recommend this book to any parent with young kids.

This book is a "must-read" for every parent. As the parent of a toddler, I was wondering when I could introduce my child to "Sesame Street" and whether there is truly any value in such programs. This book answered those questions and so many more. In a clear, highly entertaining, and non-judgmental way, the authors skillfully weave together research findings about the effect of television on children (birth through adolescence) into a highly readable book. Various putative effects of television are discussed: obesity, lowered attention span, propensity toward drinking, smoking, and violent behavior. Instead of lecturing parents about what they must do, the book serves as a guide, informing parents of what the research tells us (much of it surprising) and encouraging them to weigh the information and decide what is best for their own children. I particularly appreciated the sensitivity toward gender issues and the information about how television might affect girls differently than boys. Normally I read at least two books about a subject I want to learn about. This is book is so good, I feel like I've gotten all the information I need.

TV has been around for over 50 years and has become for most, an unquestioned or unexamined part of life. It just IS. Is what? Good for you? Bad for you? How do we know? We should be critically examining many facets of our culture. But how? Pediatrician and scientist Christakis and Zimmerman give us ways to decide by presenting reasoned opinion backed up by studies in a very accessible way. The concepts are mostly intuitive but not easy for many of us to act upon to benefit our children. Much of what kids watch on TV isn't good for them, nor for society. They give good guidelines for how to use the beast. Ignore this book at your grandchildren's peril.

As a father of two young children, I have often wondered (guitily) whether I was failing as a parent by letting my children watch TV. Frankly, I enjoy watching TV myself, and have fond memories of watching it as a child. Plus, I find it is an indispensable "soux chef" at times to preparing meals or getting anything done around the house. Is this wrong? Everything I had read in the popular press suggested maybe it was, or maybe it wasn't, without any satisfying reasons either way.

Finally, this book came along. It answered my questions and ended my feelings of guilt. It explains all the ways in which certain forms of TV can be good for children, in clear, entertaining language and with specific suggestions on how to maximize those opportunities. It further identifies the various forms of "bad" TV that exist (using really interesting, easy-to-understand examples from current research), and gives good suggestions on how to avoid that TV (or even better, how to turn them into learning opportunities themselves).

In this book, TV is neither all good or all bad - but instead something that can be one or the other depending on how you approach it and use it. The authors give you a way to think about TV (along with practical advice) that (for me) provided reassurance about the TV I do watch - as well as renewed strength to stand up and turn off the TV that (let's face it, I knew already) shouldn't be watched by my kids. My sense of confusion and guilt has been replaced with a clear sense of understanding and purpose. I can't thank the authors enough.

If you have a television and a child, you must read this book! Without being remotely preachy or judgmental, The Elephant in the Living Room lays out both the benefits and pitfalls of TV watching for children, and gives manageable solutions for minimizing the bad and maximizing the good. The anecdotes lay out the issues in a way that's clear and entertaining, and the advice is specific and realistic. Each chapter ends with a sort of action plan, which makes it easy to keep track of the important points and put them into practice. The book is also funny and entertaining, making it not just a painless way to get important information, but a pleasant one. There is nothing else like this out there--The Elephant in the Living Room really is a must-read for anyone raising children in today's media packed world.

Finally, there is a book I can recommend to help parents make informed choices about the television viewing in their homes. This well-referenced book is a comprehensive summary of the existing research about TV viewing and youth, yet it remains an accessible read, peppered with interesting personal vignettes. Rather than telling people to throw out the tube, this book offers practical tips to help parents get the most out of what's good on TV, and strategies to mitigate its harmful effects. Reading this book I found both the evidence and the solutions needed to control the role of TV in the lives of children.

I am a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a parent. I came across this important book as I was researching my own.

If you care about how your kids live through their childhood and make their way forward through a world saturated with media and technology, you must read this wonderful and informative book. Many principles discussed here may be extrapolated to the Internet.

Don't miss it!

Eitan D. Schwarz, MD, DLFAPA, FAACAP