If we could “unplug” from these constraints then perhaps people may re-learn those forgotten skills of playful and creative thinking and remember what it is to be human.
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1e/d4/b7.pdf
ERIC #:
ED308458
Title:
Ego-Syntonic Aspects of Adult Play and Creativity.
Authors:
Smolucha, Larry; Smolucha, Francine
Descriptors:
Adults; Cognitive Processes; Creativity; Parent Child Relationship; Parents; Play; Theories
Source:
The entity from which ERIC acquires the content, including journal, organization, and conference names, or by means of online submission from the author.
N/A
More Info:
Help Peer-Reviewed:
An indication of whether the document came from a peer-reviewed journal or U.S. Department of Education publication. Note: Used from 2005 onward.More Info:
Help
N/A
Publisher:
N/A
Publication Date:
1989-04-00
Pages:
6
Pub Types:
Opinion Papers; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Abstract:
Creativity research has traditionally regarded the creative process as involving a full or partial regression of the ego to a more primitive state of consciousness. An alternative interpretation involves an ego-syntonic concept. This developmental model of ego-syntonic play and its role in creativity is derived from a synergistic combination of concepts from psychoanalytic and Vygotskian paradigms. While some play and creative activities may be characterized by voluntary and/or involuntary regressions, an ego-syntonic state provides access to the unconscious imagination without a corresponding loss of ego functions. Moreover, when play and creativity become ego-syntonic activities, unconscious processes such as imagination become consciously directed and work in collaboration with normal ego functions such as logical thought. Three types of parent-child interactions can be identified that have implications for the types of play and creative processes found in adults. These are: (1) the parent who is critical of play, who does not encourage the child’s exploration, expression, or fantasizing; (2) the parent who allows the child to play but does not offer direction; and (3) the parent who encourages the child to play, is tolerant of the child’s mistakes and silliness, and even plays along with the child. The experiences of the ego-syntonic state may be maximized by the individual’s learning how to use inner speech to evoke and monitor the cognitive processes and emotions involved in the ego-syntonic condition. (ABL)
Abstractor:
N/A
Reference Count:
N/A
Note:
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (Kansas City, MO, April 1989).
Identifiers:
Ego Syntonic State
Record Type:
Non-Journal
|
“Since I know nothing at all, I shall simply do whatever occurs to me”. Thus I consciously submitted myself to the impulses of the unconscious. The first thing that came to the surface was a childhood memory from perhaps my tenth or eleventh year. At that time I had a spell of playing passionately with building blocks. I distinctly recalled how I had built little houses and castles, using bottles to form the sides of gates and vaults. Somewhat later I had used ordinary stones, with mud for mortar. These structures had fascinated me for a long time. To my astonishment this memory was accompanied by a good deal of emotion. “Aha,” I said to myself, “there is still life in these things. The small boy is still around, possesses a creative life which I lack. But how can I make my way to it?” For as a grown man it seemed impossible to me that I should be able to bridge the distance from the present back to my eleventh year. Yet if I wanted to re-establish contact with that period, I had no choice but to return to it and take up once more that child’s life with his childish games. This moment was a turning point in my fate, but I gave in only after endless resistances and with a sense of resignation. For it was a painfully humiliating experience to realize that there was nothing to be done except play childish games. (Memories, Dreams and Reflections, pp. 173-174).” C. G. Jung |
C:\Documents and Settings\IBM USER\Desktop\RESEARCHPLAY\Play Therapy with Adults by Charles E_ Schaefer, Ph_ D_ (Editor).htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html
Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school: 70% of child-care centers use TV during a typical day. In a year, the average child spends 900 hours in school and nearly 1,023 hours in front of a TV.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV a day – even though the AAP guidelines say kids older than 2 should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
And, according to the guidelines, kids under age 2 should have no “screen time” (TV, DVDs or videotapes, computers, or video games) at all. During the first 2 years, a critical time for brain development, TV can get in the way of exploring, learning, and spending time interacting and playing with parents and others, which helps young kids develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade-schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it – TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.
But too much television can be harmful:
- Research has shown that kids who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
- Kids who view violent events, such as a kidnapping or murder, are also more likely to believe that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
- Research also indicates that TV consistently reinforces gender-role and racial stereotypes.
Children’s advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week of educational programming, others assert that no TV is the best solution. And some say it’s better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it’s for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.
That’s why it’s so important for you to monitor the content of TV programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your child doesn’t spend time watching TV that should be spent on other activities, such as playing with friends, exercising, and reading.
Violence
Consider this: The average American child will see 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often demonstrated and promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.
And as the AAP points out, many violent acts are perpetrated by the “good guys,” whom kids have been taught to admire. Even though kids know that it’s not right to hit, television says it’s OK to bite, hit, or kick if you’re the good guy. And even the “bad guys” on TV aren’t always held responsible or punished for their actions.
The images kids absorb can also leave them traumatized and vulnerable. According to research, children ages 2 to 7 are particularly frightened by scary-looking things like monsters. Simply telling kids that those images aren’t real won’t console them because they can’t yet distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Kids ages 8 to 12 are frightened by the threat of violence, natural disasters, and the victimization of kids, whether those images appear on fictional shows, the news, or reality-based shows. Reasoning with kids this age will help, so it’s important to provide reassuring and honest information to help ease their fears. However, you may want to avoid letting your kids view programs that they may find frightening.
Risky Behaviors
TV is full of programs and commercials that depict risky behaviors such as sex and substance abuse as cool, fun, and exciting. And often, there’s no discussion about the consequences of drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and having premarital sex.
For example, studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don’t watch sexually explicit shows.
Alcohol ads on TV have actually increased over the last few years and more underage children are being exposed to them than ever. A recent study conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University found that the top 15 teen-oriented programs in 2003 had alcohol ads.
And although they’ve banned cigarette ads on television, kids and teens can still see plenty of people smoking on programs and movies airing on TV. This kind of “product placement” makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable. In fact, kids who watch 5 or more hours of TV per day are far more likely to begin smoking cigarettes than those who watch less than the recommended 2 hours a day.
Obesity
Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity – a significant health problem today. While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They’re also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods.
Too much educational TV has the same indirect effect on children’s health. Even if kids are watching 4 hours of quality educational television, that still means they’re not exercising, reading, socializing, or spending time outside.
But studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI – a measurement derived from someone’s weight and height).
Commercials
According to the AAP, kids in the United States see 40,000 commercials each year. From the junk food and toy advertisements during Saturday morning cartoons to the appealing promos on the backs of cereal boxes, marketing messages inundate kids of all ages. And to them, everything looks ideal – like something they simply have to have. It all sounds so appealing – often, so much better than it really is.
Under the age of 8 years, most kids don’t understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and under are unable to distinguish program content from commercials, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all exposure to marketing messages. You can certainly turn off the TV or at least limit kids’ watching time, but they’ll still see and hear advertisements for the latest gizmos and must-haves at every turn.
But what you can do is teach your kids to be savvy consumers by talking about what they think about the products being advertised. Ask thought-provoking questions like, “What do you like about that?,” “Do you think it’s really as good as it looks in that ad?,” and “Do you think that’s a healthy choice?”
Explain, when kids ask for advertised products, that commercials are designed to make people want things they don’t necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us happier somehow. Talking to kids about what things are like in reality can help put things into perspective.
To limit exposure to TV commercials, the AAP recommends that you:
- Have your kids watch public television stations (some programs are sponsored – or “brought to you” – by various companies, although the products they sell are rarely shown).
- Tape programs – without the commercials.
- Buy or rent kids’ videos or DVDs.
Understanding TV Ratings and the V-Chip
Two ways you can help monitor what your child watches are:
1. TV Parental Guidelines. Modeled after the movie rating system, this is an age-group rating system developed for TV programs. These ratings are listed in television guides, TV listings in your local newspaper, and on the screen in your cable program guide. They also appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen during the first 15 seconds of TV programs.
Not all channels offer the rating system. For those that do, the ratings are:
- TV-Y: suitable for all kids
- TV-Y7: directed toward kids 7 years and older (kids who are able to distinguish between make-believe and reality); may contain “mild fantasy violence or comedic violence” that may scare younger kids
- TV-Y7-FV: fantasy violence may be more intense in these programs than others in the TV-Y7 rating
- TVG: suitable for a general audience; not directed specifically toward kids, but contains little to no violence, sexual dialogue or content, or strong language
- TV-PG: parental guidance suggested; may contain an inappropriate theme for younger children and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D)
- TV-14: parents strongly cautioned – suitable for only kids over the age of 14; contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong language (L), and intensely suggestive dialogue
- TV-MA: designed for adults and may be unsuitable for kids under 17; contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), strong sexual activity (S), and/and crude language (L)
2. V-chip (V is for “violence”). This technology was designed to enable parents to block television programs and movies. All new TV sets that have screens of 13″ or more now have internal V-chips, but set-top boxes are available for TVs made before 2000.
So how does the V-chip work? It lets you to program your TV to display only the appropriately-rated shows – blocking out other, more mature shows.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that V-chips in new TVs recognize the TV Parental Guidelines and the age-group rating system and block those programs that don’t adhere to these standards.
For many, the rating system and V-chip may be valuable tools. But there is some concern that the system may be worse than no system at all. For example, research shows that preteen and teen boys are more likely to want to see a program if it’s rated MA (mature audience) than if it’s PG (parental guidance suggested). And parents may rely too heavily on these tools and stop monitoring what their kids are watching.
Also, broadcast news, sports, and commercials aren’t rated, although they often present depictions of violence and sexuality. The rating system also doesn’t satisfy some family advocates who complain that they fail to give enough information about a program’s content to allow parents to make informed decisions about whether a show is appropriate for their child.
So even if you’ve used the V-chip to program your TV or a show features the age-group ratings, it’s still important to preview shows to determine whether they’re appropriate and turn off the TV if they’re not.
Teaching Kids Good TV Habits
Here are some practical ways to make TV-viewing more productive in your home:
- Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
- Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids’ magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do something other than watch the tube.
- Keep TVs out of your child’s bedroom.
- Turn the TV off during meals.
- Don’t allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
- Treat TV as a privilege that your kids must earn – not a right they’re entitled to. Tell them that TV-viewing is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.
- Try a weekday ban. Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends, and you’ll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.
- Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing.
- Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together (i.e., developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that reinforce your family’s values). Choose shows, says the AAP, that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.).
- Preview programs before your child watches them.
- Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (i.e., on the refrigerator) somewhere around the house so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the “scheduled” program is over instead of channel surfing for something of interest.
- Watch TV with your kids. If you can’t sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.
- Talk to kids about what they watch and share your own beliefs and values. If something you don’t approve of appears on the screen, you can turn off the TV, then use the opportunity to ask questions such as, “Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done? What would you have done?” Or, “What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?” If certain people or characters are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it’s important to treat fairly despite differences. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life).
- Talk to other parents, your doctor, and your child’s teachers about their TV-watching policies and kid-friendly programs they’d recommend.
- Offer fun alternatives to TV. If your kids wantto watch TV, but you want them to turn it off, suggest playing a board game, starting a game of hide and seek, playing outside, etc. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless – so turn itoff and enjoy quality time with your kids.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2005
Kids Distracted By TV
Posted: July 15, 2008 08:30 AM PDT
Updated: July 15, 2008 09:02 AM PDT
Pediatricians have long said children younger than 2 shouldn’t watch any television. But in new findings from a small-scale study, researchers say that even having a TV on in the background could be “an environmental hazard” for children.
For the study, released today, researchers observed 50 children, ages 1 to 3, for an hour at a time as they played alone in a small room with a variety of toys. Parents sat nearby, and for half of each session (starting either at the beginning or 30 minutes in), a small TV broadcast a taped episode of Jeopardy.
After videotaping and carefully analyzing the children’s reactions, researchers found that kids watched the TV only in snippets but that it modestly shortened their playtime. TV decreased play’s intensity and cut by half the amount of time children focused on a given toy.
The researchers chose Jeopardy on the theory that it would be “nearly incomprehensible” to toddlers.
HEALTH BLOG: Educational programming is no better for tots
Prior research has suggested that very young children don’t pay attention to TV they can’t understand, and recent surveys show that as many as two-thirds of children up to 6 years old live in homes where the TV is on at least half the time, even if no one is watching.
In one survey, 14% of parents said the TV is always on.
In the new study, researchers say the disruptive effects were “real but small,” amounting to a few seconds in many cases. For instance, kids played about 90 seconds less in the half hour with the TV on – they looked momentarily at the screen, then went back to their toys.
But researcher Daniel Anderson, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says he’s concerned the effects could be cumulative.
“It’s that situation that I’m most concerned about, when you look at TV as being a disruptive influence hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year,” he says.
Perhaps most significant: When the TV was on, kids of all ages played with a given toy – a jack-in-the-box, a baby doll, blocks, a toy telephone, a school bus with toy passengers – for about 30 seconds, on average. Without TV, it was 60 seconds.
Researchers say solitary play, especially with toys, offers many benefits. It allows children to practice planning ahead and develop cognitive skills.
“A lot of that gets practiced in the form of toy play,” Anderson says. “And that requires sustained attention.”
He says parents should take a look at how much the TV is on – and make sure children have “substantial” quiet time.
The study appears today in the journal Child Development.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-07-15-background-tv_N.htm
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/ihr/publications/amandabingley/climbing_trees_and_building_dens.pdf
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1e/d4/b7.pdf
ERIC #:
ED308458
Title:
Ego-Syntonic Aspects of Adult Play and Creativity.
Authors:
Smolucha, Larry; Smolucha, Francine
Descriptors:
Adults; Cognitive Processes; Creativity; Parent Child Relationship; Parents; Play; Theories
Source:
The entity from which ERIC acquires the content, including journal, organization, and conference names, or by means of online submission from the author.
N/A
More Info:
Help Peer-Reviewed:
An indication of whether the document came from a peer-reviewed journal or U.S. Department of Education publication. Note: Used from 2005 onward.More Info:
Help
N/A
Publisher:
N/A
Publication Date:
1989-04-00
Pages:
6
Pub Types:
Opinion Papers; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Abstract:
Creativity research has traditionally regarded the creative process as involving a full or partial regression of the ego to a more primitive state of consciousness. An alternative interpretation involves an ego-syntonic concept. This developmental model of ego-syntonic play and its role in creativity is derived from a synergistic combination of concepts from psychoanalytic and Vygotskian paradigms. While some play and creative activities may be characterized by voluntary and/or involuntary regressions, an ego-syntonic state provides access to the unconscious imagination without a corresponding loss of ego functions. Moreover, when play and creativity become ego-syntonic activities, unconscious processes such as imagination become consciously directed and work in collaboration with normal ego functions such as logical thought. Three types of parent-child interactions can be identified that have implications for the types of play and creative processes found in adults. These are: (1) the parent who is critical of play, who does not encourage the child’s exploration, expression, or fantasizing; (2) the parent who allows the child to play but does not offer direction; and (3) the parent who encourages the child to play, is tolerant of the child’s mistakes and silliness, and even plays along with the child. The experiences of the ego-syntonic state may be maximized by the individual’s learning how to use inner speech to evoke and monitor the cognitive processes and emotions involved in the ego-syntonic condition. (ABL)
Abstractor:
N/A
Reference Count:
N/A
Note:
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (Kansas City, MO, April 1989).
Identifiers:
Ego Syntonic State
Record Type:
Non-Journal
|
“Since I know nothing at all, I shall simply do whatever occurs to me”. Thus I consciously submitted myself to the impulses of the unconscious. The first thing that came to the surface was a childhood memory from perhaps my tenth or eleventh year. At that time I had a spell of playing passionately with building blocks. I distinctly recalled how I had built little houses and castles, using bottles to form the sides of gates and vaults. Somewhat later I had used ordinary stones, with mud for mortar. These structures had fascinated me for a long time. To my astonishment this memory was accompanied by a good deal of emotion. “Aha,” I said to myself, “there is still life in these things. The small boy is still around, possesses a creative life which I lack. But how can I make my way to it?” For as a grown man it seemed impossible to me that I should be able to bridge the distance from the present back to my eleventh year. Yet if I wanted to re-establish contact with that period, I had no choice but to return to it and take up once more that child’s life with his childish games. This moment was a turning point in my fate, but I gave in only after endless resistances and with a sense of resignation. For it was a painfully humiliating experience to realize that there was nothing to be done except play childish games. (Memories, Dreams and Reflections, pp. 173-174).” C. G. Jung |
C:\Documents and Settings\IBM USER\Desktop\RESEARCHPLAY\Play Therapy with Adults by Charles E_ Schaefer, Ph_ D_ (Editor).htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html
Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school: 70% of child-care centers use TV during a typical day. In a year, the average child spends 900 hours in school and nearly 1,023 hours in front of a TV.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV a day – even though the AAP guidelines say kids older than 2 should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
And, according to the guidelines, kids under age 2 should have no “screen time” (TV, DVDs or videotapes, computers, or video games) at all. During the first 2 years, a critical time for brain development, TV can get in the way of exploring, learning, and spending time interacting and playing with parents and others, which helps young kids develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade-schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it – TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.
But too much television can be harmful:
- Research has shown that kids who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
- Kids who view violent events, such as a kidnapping or murder, are also more likely to believe that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
- Research also indicates that TV consistently reinforces gender-role and racial stereotypes.
Children’s advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week of educational programming, others assert that no TV is the best solution. And some say it’s better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it’s for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.
That’s why it’s so important for you to monitor the content of TV programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your child doesn’t spend time watching TV that should be spent on other activities, such as playing with friends, exercising, and reading.
Violence
Consider this: The average American child will see 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often demonstrated and promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.
And as the AAP points out, many violent acts are perpetrated by the “good guys,” whom kids have been taught to admire. Even though kids know that it’s not right to hit, television says it’s OK to bite, hit, or kick if you’re the good guy. And even the “bad guys” on TV aren’t always held responsible or punished for their actions.
The images kids absorb can also leave them traumatized and vulnerable. According to research, children ages 2 to 7 are particularly frightened by scary-looking things like monsters. Simply telling kids that those images aren’t real won’t console them because they can’t yet distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Kids ages 8 to 12 are frightened by the threat of violence, natural disasters, and the victimization of kids, whether those images appear on fictional shows, the news, or reality-based shows. Reasoning with kids this age will help, so it’s important to provide reassuring and honest information to help ease their fears. However, you may want to avoid letting your kids view programs that they may find frightening.
Risky Behaviors
TV is full of programs and commercials that depict risky behaviors such as sex and substance abuse as cool, fun, and exciting. And often, there’s no discussion about the consequences of drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and having premarital sex.
For example, studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don’t watch sexually explicit shows.
Alcohol ads on TV have actually increased over the last few years and more underage children are being exposed to them than ever. A recent study conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University found that the top 15 teen-oriented programs in 2003 had alcohol ads.
And although they’ve banned cigarette ads on television, kids and teens can still see plenty of people smoking on programs and movies airing on TV. This kind of “product placement” makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable. In fact, kids who watch 5 or more hours of TV per day are far more likely to begin smoking cigarettes than those who watch less than the recommended 2 hours a day.
Obesity
Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity – a significant health problem today. While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They’re also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods.
Too much educational TV has the same indirect effect on children’s health. Even if kids are watching 4 hours of quality educational television, that still means they’re not exercising, reading, socializing, or spending time outside.
But studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI – a measurement derived from someone’s weight and height).
Commercials
According to the AAP, kids in the United States see 40,000 commercials each year. From the junk food and toy advertisements during Saturday morning cartoons to the appealing promos on the backs of cereal boxes, marketing messages inundate kids of all ages. And to them, everything looks ideal – like something they simply have to have. It all sounds so appealing – often, so much better than it really is.
Under the age of 8 years, most kids don’t understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and under are unable to distinguish program content from commercials, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all exposure to marketing messages. You can certainly turn off the TV or at least limit kids’ watching time, but they’ll still see and hear advertisements for the latest gizmos and must-haves at every turn.
But what you can do is teach your kids to be savvy consumers by talking about what they think about the products being advertised. Ask thought-provoking questions like, “What do you like about that?,” “Do you think it’s really as good as it looks in that ad?,” and “Do you think that’s a healthy choice?”
Explain, when kids ask for advertised products, that commercials are designed to make people want things they don’t necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us happier somehow. Talking to kids about what things are like in reality can help put things into perspective.
To limit exposure to TV commercials, the AAP recommends that you:
- Have your kids watch public television stations (some programs are sponsored – or “brought to you” – by various companies, although the products they sell are rarely shown).
- Tape programs – without the commercials.
- Buy or rent kids’ videos or DVDs.
Understanding TV Ratings and the V-Chip
Two ways you can help monitor what your child watches are:
1. TV Parental Guidelines. Modeled after the movie rating system, this is an age-group rating system developed for TV programs. These ratings are listed in television guides, TV listings in your local newspaper, and on the screen in your cable program guide. They also appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen during the first 15 seconds of TV programs.
Not all channels offer the rating system. For those that do, the ratings are:
- TV-Y: suitable for all kids
- TV-Y7: directed toward kids 7 years and older (kids who are able to distinguish between make-believe and reality); may contain “mild fantasy violence or comedic violence” that may scare younger kids
- TV-Y7-FV: fantasy violence may be more intense in these programs than others in the TV-Y7 rating
- TVG: suitable for a general audience; not directed specifically toward kids, but contains little to no violence, sexual dialogue or content, or strong language
- TV-PG: parental guidance suggested; may contain an inappropriate theme for younger children and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D)
- TV-14: parents strongly cautioned – suitable for only kids over the age of 14; contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong language (L), and intensely suggestive dialogue
- TV-MA: designed for adults and may be unsuitable for kids under 17; contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), strong sexual activity (S), and/and crude language (L)
2. V-chip (V is for “violence”). This technology was designed to enable parents to block television programs and movies. All new TV sets that have screens of 13″ or more now have internal V-chips, but set-top boxes are available for TVs made before 2000.
So how does the V-chip work? It lets you to program your TV to display only the appropriately-rated shows – blocking out other, more mature shows.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that V-chips in new TVs recognize the TV Parental Guidelines and the age-group rating system and block those programs that don’t adhere to these standards.
For many, the rating system and V-chip may be valuable tools. But there is some concern that the system may be worse than no system at all. For example, research shows that preteen and teen boys are more likely to want to see a program if it’s rated MA (mature audience) than if it’s PG (parental guidance suggested). And parents may rely too heavily on these tools and stop monitoring what their kids are watching.
Also, broadcast news, sports, and commercials aren’t rated, although they often present depictions of violence and sexuality. The rating system also doesn’t satisfy some family advocates who complain that they fail to give enough information about a program’s content to allow parents to make informed decisions about whether a show is appropriate for their child.
So even if you’ve used the V-chip to program your TV or a show features the age-group ratings, it’s still important to preview shows to determine whether they’re appropriate and turn off the TV if they’re not.
Teaching Kids Good TV Habits
Here are some practical ways to make TV-viewing more productive in your home:
- Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
- Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids’ magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do something other than watch the tube.
- Keep TVs out of your child’s bedroom.
- Turn the TV off during meals.
- Don’t allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
- Treat TV as a privilege that your kids must earn – not a right they’re entitled to. Tell them that TV-viewing is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.
- Try a weekday ban. Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends, and you’ll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.
- Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing.
- Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together (i.e., developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that reinforce your family’s values). Choose shows, says the AAP, that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.).
- Preview programs before your child watches them.
- Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (i.e., on the refrigerator) somewhere around the house so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the “scheduled” program is over instead of channel surfing for something of interest.
- Watch TV with your kids. If you can’t sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.
- Talk to kids about what they watch and share your own beliefs and values. If something you don’t approve of appears on the screen, you can turn off the TV, then use the opportunity to ask questions such as, “Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done? What would you have done?” Or, “What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?” If certain people or characters are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it’s important to treat fairly despite differences. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life).
- Talk to other parents, your doctor, and your child’s teachers about their TV-watching policies and kid-friendly programs they’d recommend.
- Offer fun alternatives to TV. If your kids wantto watch TV, but you want them to turn it off, suggest playing a board game, starting a game of hide and seek, playing outside, etc. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless – so turn itoff and enjoy quality time with your kids.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2005
Kids Distracted By TV
Posted: July 15, 2008 08:30 AM PDT
Updated: July 15, 2008 09:02 AM PDT
Pediatricians have long said children younger than 2 shouldn’t watch any television. But in new findings from a small-scale study, researchers say that even having a TV on in the background could be “an environmental hazard” for children.
For the study, released today, researchers observed 50 children, ages 1 to 3, for an hour at a time as they played alone in a small room with a variety of toys. Parents sat nearby, and for half of each session (starting either at the beginning or 30 minutes in), a small TV broadcast a taped episode of Jeopardy.
After videotaping and carefully analyzing the children’s reactions, researchers found that kids watched the TV only in snippets but that it modestly shortened their playtime. TV decreased play’s intensity and cut by half the amount of time children focused on a given toy.
The researchers chose Jeopardy on the theory that it would be “nearly incomprehensible” to toddlers.
HEALTH BLOG: Educational programming is no better for tots
Prior research has suggested that very young children don’t pay attention to TV they can’t understand, and recent surveys show that as many as two-thirds of children up to 6 years old live in homes where the TV is on at least half the time, even if no one is watching.
In one survey, 14% of parents said the TV is always on.
In the new study, researchers say the disruptive effects were “real but small,” amounting to a few seconds in many cases. For instance, kids played about 90 seconds less in the half hour with the TV on – they looked momentarily at the screen, then went back to their toys.
But researcher Daniel Anderson, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says he’s concerned the effects could be cumulative.
“It’s that situation that I’m most concerned about, when you look at TV as being a disruptive influence hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year,” he says.
Perhaps most significant: When the TV was on, kids of all ages played with a given toy – a jack-in-the-box, a baby doll, blocks, a toy telephone, a school bus with toy passengers – for about 30 seconds, on average. Without TV, it was 60 seconds.
Researchers say solitary play, especially with toys, offers many benefits. It allows children to practice planning ahead and develop cognitive skills.
“A lot of that gets practiced in the form of toy play,” Anderson says. “And that requires sustained attention.”
He says parents should take a look at how much the TV is on – and make sure children have “substantial” quiet time.
The study appears today in the journal Child Development.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-07-15-background-tv_N.htm
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/ihr/publications/amandabingley/climbing_trees_and_building_dens.pdf
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1e/d4/b7.pdf
ERIC #:
ED308458
Title:
Ego-Syntonic Aspects of Adult Play and Creativity.
Authors:
Smolucha, Larry; Smolucha, Francine
Descriptors:
Adults; Cognitive Processes; Creativity; Parent Child Relationship; Parents; Play; Theories
Source:
The entity from which ERIC acquires the content, including journal, organization, and conference names, or by means of online submission from the author.
N/A
More Info:
Help Peer-Reviewed:
An indication of whether the document came from a peer-reviewed journal or U.S. Department of Education publication. Note: Used from 2005 onward.More Info:
Help
N/A
Publisher:
N/A
Publication Date:
1989-04-00
Pages:
6
Pub Types:
Opinion Papers; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Abstract:
Creativity research has traditionally regarded the creative process as involving a full or partial regression of the ego to a more primitive state of consciousness. An alternative interpretation involves an ego-syntonic concept. This developmental model of ego-syntonic play and its role in creativity is derived from a synergistic combination of concepts from psychoanalytic and Vygotskian paradigms. While some play and creative activities may be characterized by voluntary and/or involuntary regressions, an ego-syntonic state provides access to the unconscious imagination without a corresponding loss of ego functions. Moreover, when play and creativity become ego-syntonic activities, unconscious processes such as imagination become consciously directed and work in collaboration with normal ego functions such as logical thought. Three types of parent-child interactions can be identified that have implications for the types of play and creative processes found in adults. These are: (1) the parent who is critical of play, who does not encourage the child’s exploration, expression, or fantasizing; (2) the parent who allows the child to play but does not offer direction; and (3) the parent who encourages the child to play, is tolerant of the child’s mistakes and silliness, and even plays along with the child. The experiences of the ego-syntonic state may be maximized by the individual’s learning how to use inner speech to evoke and monitor the cognitive processes and emotions involved in the ego-syntonic condition. (ABL)
Abstractor:
N/A
Reference Count:
N/A
Note:
Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (Kansas City, MO, April 1989).
Identifiers:
Ego Syntonic State
Record Type:
Non-Journal
|
“Since I know nothing at all, I shall simply do whatever occurs to me”. Thus I consciously submitted myself to the impulses of the unconscious. The first thing that came to the surface was a childhood memory from perhaps my tenth or eleventh year. At that time I had a spell of playing passionately with building blocks. I distinctly recalled how I had built little houses and castles, using bottles to form the sides of gates and vaults. Somewhat later I had used ordinary stones, with mud for mortar. These structures had fascinated me for a long time. To my astonishment this memory was accompanied by a good deal of emotion. “Aha,” I said to myself, “there is still life in these things. The small boy is still around, possesses a creative life which I lack. But how can I make my way to it?” For as a grown man it seemed impossible to me that I should be able to bridge the distance from the present back to my eleventh year. Yet if I wanted to re-establish contact with that period, I had no choice but to return to it and take up once more that child’s life with his childish games. This moment was a turning point in my fate, but I gave in only after endless resistances and with a sense of resignation. For it was a painfully humiliating experience to realize that there was nothing to be done except play childish games. (Memories, Dreams and Reflections, pp. 173-174).” C. G. Jung |
C:\Documents and Settings\IBM USER\Desktop\RESEARCHPLAY\Play Therapy with Adults by Charles E_ Schaefer, Ph_ D_ (Editor).htm
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html
Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school: 70% of child-care centers use TV during a typical day. In a year, the average child spends 900 hours in school and nearly 1,023 hours in front of a TV.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV a day – even though the AAP guidelines say kids older than 2 should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
And, according to the guidelines, kids under age 2 should have no “screen time” (TV, DVDs or videotapes, computers, or video games) at all. During the first 2 years, a critical time for brain development, TV can get in the way of exploring, learning, and spending time interacting and playing with parents and others, which helps young kids develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade-schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it – TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.
But too much television can be harmful:
- Research has shown that kids who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
- Kids who view violent events, such as a kidnapping or murder, are also more likely to believe that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
- Research also indicates that TV consistently reinforces gender-role and racial stereotypes.
Children’s advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week of educational programming, others assert that no TV is the best solution. And some say it’s better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it’s for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.
That’s why it’s so important for you to monitor the content of TV programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your child doesn’t spend time watching TV that should be spent on other activities, such as playing with friends, exercising, and reading.
Violence
Consider this: The average American child will see 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often demonstrated and promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.
And as the AAP points out, many violent acts are perpetrated by the “good guys,” whom kids have been taught to admire. Even though kids know that it’s not right to hit, television says it’s OK to bite, hit, or kick if you’re the good guy. And even the “bad guys” on TV aren’t always held responsible or punished for their actions.
The images kids absorb can also leave them traumatized and vulnerable. According to research, children ages 2 to 7 are particularly frightened by scary-looking things like monsters. Simply telling kids that those images aren’t real won’t console them because they can’t yet distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Kids ages 8 to 12 are frightened by the threat of violence, natural disasters, and the victimization of kids, whether those images appear on fictional shows, the news, or reality-based shows. Reasoning with kids this age will help, so it’s important to provide reassuring and honest information to help ease their fears. However, you may want to avoid letting your kids view programs that they may find frightening.
Risky Behaviors
TV is full of programs and commercials that depict risky behaviors such as sex and substance abuse as cool, fun, and exciting. And often, there’s no discussion about the consequences of drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and having premarital sex.
For example, studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don’t watch sexually explicit shows.
Alcohol ads on TV have actually increased over the last few years and more underage children are being exposed to them than ever. A recent study conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University found that the top 15 teen-oriented programs in 2003 had alcohol ads.
And although they’ve banned cigarette ads on television, kids and teens can still see plenty of people smoking on programs and movies airing on TV. This kind of “product placement” makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable. In fact, kids who watch 5 or more hours of TV per day are far more likely to begin smoking cigarettes than those who watch less than the recommended 2 hours a day.
Obesity
Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity – a significant health problem today. While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They’re also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods.
Too much educational TV has the same indirect effect on children’s health. Even if kids are watching 4 hours of quality educational television, that still means they’re not exercising, reading, socializing, or spending time outside.
But studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI – a measurement derived from someone’s weight and height).
Commercials
According to the AAP, kids in the United States see 40,000 commercials each year. From the junk food and toy advertisements during Saturday morning cartoons to the appealing promos on the backs of cereal boxes, marketing messages inundate kids of all ages. And to them, everything looks ideal – like something they simply have to have. It all sounds so appealing – often, so much better than it really is.
Under the age of 8 years, most kids don’t understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and under are unable to distinguish program content from commercials, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.
Of course, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all exposure to marketing messages. You can certainly turn off the TV or at least limit kids’ watching time, but they’ll still see and hear advertisements for the latest gizmos and must-haves at every turn.
But what you can do is teach your kids to be savvy consumers by talking about what they think about the products being advertised. Ask thought-provoking questions like, “What do you like about that?,” “Do you think it’s really as good as it looks in that ad?,” and “Do you think that’s a healthy choice?”
Explain, when kids ask for advertised products, that commercials are designed to make people want things they don’t necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us happier somehow. Talking to kids about what things are like in reality can help put things into perspective.
To limit exposure to TV commercials, the AAP recommends that you:
- Have your kids watch public television stations (some programs are sponsored – or “brought to you” – by various companies, although the products they sell are rarely shown).
- Tape programs – without the commercials.
- Buy or rent kids’ videos or DVDs.
Understanding TV Ratings and the V-Chip
Two ways you can help monitor what your child watches are:
1. TV Parental Guidelines. Modeled after the movie rating system, this is an age-group rating system developed for TV programs. These ratings are listed in television guides, TV listings in your local newspaper, and on the screen in your cable program guide. They also appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen during the first 15 seconds of TV programs.
Not all channels offer the rating system. For those that do, the ratings are:
- TV-Y: suitable for all kids
- TV-Y7: directed toward kids 7 years and older (kids who are able to distinguish between make-believe and reality); may contain “mild fantasy violence or comedic violence” that may scare younger kids
- TV-Y7-FV: fantasy violence may be more intense in these programs than others in the TV-Y7 rating
- TVG: suitable for a general audience; not directed specifically toward kids, but contains little to no violence, sexual dialogue or content, or strong language
- TV-PG: parental guidance suggested; may contain an inappropriate theme for younger children and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D)
- TV-14: parents strongly cautioned – suitable for only kids over the age of 14; contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong language (L), and intensely suggestive dialogue
- TV-MA: designed for adults and may be unsuitable for kids under 17; contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), strong sexual activity (S), and/and crude language (L)
2. V-chip (V is for “violence”). This technology was designed to enable parents to block television programs and movies. All new TV sets that have screens of 13″ or more now have internal V-chips, but set-top boxes are available for TVs made before 2000.
So how does the V-chip work? It lets you to program your TV to display only the appropriately-rated shows – blocking out other, more mature shows.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that V-chips in new TVs recognize the TV Parental Guidelines and the age-group rating system and block those programs that don’t adhere to these standards.
For many, the rating system and V-chip may be valuable tools. But there is some concern that the system may be worse than no system at all. For example, research shows that preteen and teen boys are more likely to want to see a program if it’s rated MA (mature audience) than if it’s PG (parental guidance suggested). And parents may rely too heavily on these tools and stop monitoring what their kids are watching.
Also, broadcast news, sports, and commercials aren’t rated, although they often present depictions of violence and sexuality. The rating system also doesn’t satisfy some family advocates who complain that they fail to give enough information about a program’s content to allow parents to make informed decisions about whether a show is appropriate for their child.
So even if you’ve used the V-chip to program your TV or a show features the age-group ratings, it’s still important to preview shows to determine whether they’re appropriate and turn off the TV if they’re not.
Teaching Kids Good TV Habits
Here are some practical ways to make TV-viewing more productive in your home:
- Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
- Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids’ magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do something other than watch the tube.
- Keep TVs out of your child’s bedroom.
- Turn the TV off during meals.
- Don’t allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
- Treat TV as a privilege that your kids must earn – not a right they’re entitled to. Tell them that TV-viewing is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.
- Try a weekday ban. Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends, and you’ll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.
- Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing.
- Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together (i.e., developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that reinforce your family’s values). Choose shows, says the AAP, that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.).
- Preview programs before your child watches them.
- Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (i.e., on the refrigerator) somewhere around the house so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the “scheduled” program is over instead of channel surfing for something of interest.
- Watch TV with your kids. If you can’t sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.
- Talk to kids about what they watch and share your own beliefs and values. If something you don’t approve of appears on the screen, you can turn off the TV, then use the opportunity to ask questions such as, “Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done? What would you have done?” Or, “What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?” If certain people or characters are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it’s important to treat fairly despite differences. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life).
- Talk to other parents, your doctor, and your child’s teachers about their TV-watching policies and kid-friendly programs they’d recommend.
- Offer fun alternatives to TV. If your kids wantto watch TV, but you want them to turn it off, suggest playing a board game, starting a game of hide and seek, playing outside, etc. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless – so turn itoff and enjoy quality time with your kids.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2005
Kids Distracted By TV
Posted: July 15, 2008 08:30 AM PDT
Updated: July 15, 2008 09:02 AM PDT
Pediatricians have long said children younger than 2 shouldn’t watch any television. But in new findings from a small-scale study, researchers say that even having a TV on in the background could be “an environmental hazard” for children.
For the study, released today, researchers observed 50 children, ages 1 to 3, for an hour at a time as they played alone in a small room with a variety of toys. Parents sat nearby, and for half of each session (starting either at the beginning or 30 minutes in), a small TV broadcast a taped episode of Jeopardy.
After videotaping and carefully analyzing the children’s reactions, researchers found that kids watched the TV only in snippets but that it modestly shortened their playtime. TV decreased play’s intensity and cut by half the amount of time children focused on a given toy.
The researchers chose Jeopardy on the theory that it would be “nearly incomprehensible” to toddlers.
HEALTH BLOG: Educational programming is no better for tots
Prior research has suggested that very young children don’t pay attention to TV they can’t understand, and recent surveys show that as many as two-thirds of children up to 6 years old live in homes where the TV is on at least half the time, even if no one is watching.
In one survey, 14% of parents said the TV is always on.
In the new study, researchers say the disruptive effects were “real but small,” amounting to a few seconds in many cases. For instance, kids played about 90 seconds less in the half hour with the TV on – they looked momentarily at the screen, then went back to their toys.
But researcher Daniel Anderson, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says he’s concerned the effects could be cumulative.
“It’s that situation that I’m most concerned about, when you look at TV as being a disruptive influence hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year,” he says.
Perhaps most significant: When the TV was on, kids of all ages played with a given toy – a jack-in-the-box, a baby doll, blocks, a toy telephone, a school bus with toy passengers – for about 30 seconds, on average. Without TV, it was 60 seconds.
Researchers say solitary play, especially with toys, offers many benefits. It allows children to practice planning ahead and develop cognitive skills.
“A lot of that gets practiced in the form of toy play,” Anderson says. “And that requires sustained attention.”
He says parents should take a look at how much the TV is on – and make sure children have “substantial” quiet time.
The study appears today in the journal Child Development.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-07-15-background-tv_N.htm
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/ihr/publications/amandabingley/climbing_trees_and_building_dens.pdf
