Thread: Children's TV vs Music Channels

I know a lot of the day I turn on the music channels if I'm in the house instead of children's channels. Mostly I do this because the thought of listening the kids TV all day is enough to make me want to run away but I know a few people that do it.

Anyway...I'm not sure it's much better for children than kids channels. For instance, Ryan just stopped to have a wee Dance to Nicki Minaj Superbass - he always stops whenever that song comes on, maybe because the video is really bright and cartoon like but I don't listen to a lot of R&B and just properly listened to the song and watched the video for the first time and it's all about her panties coming off and quite a few drug references and some obvious swearing covered up - not to mention the video itself is pretty sexy. Ordinarily, I don't have a problem with any of this but I don't think I'm doing Ryan any huge favours by allowing him to watch music TV instead of kids TV.

What do you think? Personally for me, TV isn't a massive issue regardless of what it is. I don't take big issue to swearing and certain adult theme being shown in front of children so it's not a big deal if he wants to watch music channels but I don't think it's preferential to kids channels?

I don't like music tv at all.... Even for me! Hubby will have it on if Arthur and I aren't around but that's it. A lot of the music is rubbish and even though you get the odd great video most of them are awful and full of crap I hate - like girls in bikinis and lots of bling. I don't want Arthur watching it really. Also I'm not a big fan of just having the tv on - he is either watching it or he isn't. If he isn't it's off. It distracts him from other activities and I'm not a big fan of the way kids seem to multiple task so much these days - I don't think it's good for their concerntration/focus. Plus my other gripe is that modern tv is far too fast - the speed at which the camera moves and also the amount of cutting that is so fashionable - I personally don't think is good for brain developement. From the research that I have done it seems that the unprecedented amount of images that our children are exposed to daily might be having an adverse effect on their ability to concentrate on slower paced tasked. Real life is slow - screen life is fast - unrealistically fast. You can't actually process images as fast as they are shown often. Susan greenfield the neuroscientist has done a lot of research into this. So we do let Arthur watch tv (well dvds) but we choose slower paced shows - old shows basically!! Like the clangers and Ivor the engine! And we dont have it on in the background. We put CDs on instead.

True... When I have the channels on I spend about 80% o the time flicking through them to find something I want to listen to so I think I'm gonna just start plugging my iPhone in to the speakers and turning the TV off when we're Not watching it.

It just occurred to me that I was maybe being a bit snobby or something about kids TV sometimes when the music channels are really not great either.

I don't really buy the whole TV, films or music being a huge influence on children crap tbh. We have TV on all day as I can't really stand the silence and it's always a mixture of kids TV, music TV and other TV shows like neighbours and location, location, location.

I don't think it's an educational tool but I don't think it hampers them either, not if most of their interaction comes from you, you get out a lot and do activities plenty and their development is just fine. So, in that respect, I don't see much difference between different TV shows because I don't believe TV itself to be the problem whatever it happens to be showing. I used to feel guilty about the TV always being on but it's silly, Molly's speech and intellectual development is perfectly fine, if not quite advanced in many respects, and we spend lots of time reading, crafting and we go out at least once every day for a walk or to some group/activity but as we head toward the winter months we are definitely watching more TV as we spend less time outdoors and there are only so many things you can do with paint, glue and pipe cleaners. I try to be imaginitive but, just now, not a lot crafty will hold her attention for very long so we try to do lots of little games and still find TV filling up some of the gaps in the form of dancing to music TV or laughing at curious george.

I mostly agree with elle I think. We dont use the TV a lot because I could give a crap about it but it is on periodically up until dinner time with kid's tv (then off the rest of the night til he goes to bed and Scott and I watch our downloaded/recorded shows) But we have watched some adult themed shows and he just plays and shows less interest. However, if you were watching a music channel that had a lot of dancing like pop and r&b or whatever and the LO was learning dance moves that way, I would definitely think twice. Last thing you want is your 4 year old at a family wedding someday grinding to the floor thinking she is "just dancing" (I say 4 because, toddlers, in my limited experience, tend to do quite grindy moves and a lot of butt/hip shaking anyway so that is not the age I refer to)

I really HATE the idea of TV being on all day. I can't stand it when we go to someone's house and they have it on the whole time, whatever channel they have. I don't have a problem with Freya watching TV, as long as I think she is getting something from the programme, it's not one of those mindless awful kids things like Teletubbies/Waybuloo where they don't actually use proper words. We never, ever have music TV on, I think it's totally unsuitable for children, nevermind toddlers.

I try hard to make Freya's days simple, we don't overcrowd her with toys, she has to use her imagination with the toys we have. She chooses what we do, we're not hugely busy and we go at her pace. I think having TV on all day, whether it is kids stuff or music, would probably crowd her head a bit and as she's not used to it I know she would just stand and gawp at it all day. I do however let her watch a bit when I'm putting Jasper down for a nap, but it's usually a dvd that I've chosen.

Think I'm getting a bit away from the OP here....if I had to choose between having one or the other on, I would choose kids TV as I would hate Freya to think it was normal for women to behave they do in music videos, it's inappropriate and over sexualised.

I definitely don't have the TV on all day. Ruby and I watch some kids TV when we first go downstairs in the morning and then it goes off.
It only goes back on if she is really overtired late PM and I need to get dinner cooked or something. I'll expect I'll also put it on when no2 is here if I need to put her to bed or whatever.

I wouldn't put a music channel on for the same reasons as Kirsten. I don't mind some music in the background, e.g today we had the ipod on and Ruby does like a bit of 90s cheese! I don't mind silence either, not that it's silence anyway because Ruby doesn't stop talking!

Originally Posted by Mummy_Claire

not that it's silence anyway because Ruby doesn't stop talking!

It's like that here, Freya never stops talking, Jasper is usually making some kind of noise, there's only so much my head can take, lol. We listen to music most days, but not for very long.

I think worrying about the influence of tv on children (music tv in this respect) is pretty pointless. Also what is "sexy" dancing? I don't care if Molly dances like they do on TV. She recieves good quality parenting and I just don't buy into the evils of tv, film, games and what is or isn't supposed to be age appropriate. It sounds a lot like a cop out, IMO.

I understand not having things on so as to not overstimulate your children if they're inclined to find it overwhelming but I think the whole suitability thing is rubbish, but it's a separate debate.

I'd agree with @Kirsten and @Mummy_Claire We hardly ever have the TV on here when the kids are awake, actually I can't remember the last time it went on. We're in and out all the time and if we're in for the afternoon without going out I'll put iTunes on to get rid of the noise. I don't have a problem at all with pretty much any music but I do find music videos fairly questionable in their portrayal or women and it can be alot of sexuality to expose children to. I know one guy whose 4 year old was watching music videos and he came into the room to find her twiddling her nipples

So I guess if it was a choice between the two, I'd go for kiddy tv over music tv any day of the week.