Keeping Tabs on Tech-Savvy Kids

Meanings of acronyms “GNOC” “4Q,” “CD9,” and “PAW” stunned parents of Roch Courreges Elementary School during a presentation on  media violence Thursday evening as speaker Paul Lebaron shared with parents the importance of keeping up with popular culture.

From the Internet, to music, to videos games, to television shows and movies, the dangers of the media are everywhere and accessible to children, he said. And while parents will tell their children to stay away from “bad things,” children do not always actively respond.

Lebaron explained that although commands are heard, messages often go right over children’s heads because what they hear often does not connect to what they see in the world. “As parents, we say a lot of words,” he said. “But if children don’t have the experience to compare it to, they won’t understand what we’re talking about."

To better bridge the gap of communication between adults and kids, Lebaron suggested that parents educate themselves in today’s trends and know what to look for when monitoring their children’s activities and hobbies, while paying attention to details and thinking strategically to keep their children safe from the daily media exposure.

Parents must first acknowledge that there are "noises" that children are exposed to daily, which eventually forms their internal voices. These noises are more than just the natural sound from outside—instead, they are the negative messages sent from music, movies, films, friends and popular public figures. 

In order to block the noises, parents must understand where the messages are coming from—by asking questions children what their interests are, then taking part in that interest and getting familiarized with the product. Because technology is rapidly progressing and children’s interests are always changing, parents should expect to constantly do their research and keep up with the times, Lebaron said.

For example, music has evolved greatly in the past decades. Musicians wrote songs in the 1980s with hidden messages for children to play over the stereo speakers. Today, with portable music players that require a headset for listening, lyrics have become more explicit, and messages of sex, violence and drugs have become more direct, he said. 

Methods of approach in content supervision should be different depending on the type of media. To monitor music, Lebaron said that simply scrolling through a playlist is not enough because it is easy for song titles to be changed through the computer. Instead, parents should be taking the headphones and listening to the music to evaluate it directly. 

Lebaron suggested a more in-depth look into video games. Parents need to be aware that there are certain games that contain hidden levels, which can only be accessed with secret codes that are obtainable for free on the Internet or by unlocking components in the game as the player advances. These hidden levels may contain inappropriate content, which parents would not have known about unless they educated themselves in the matter.

Popular culture is constantly changing. But not all changes are harmful. Lebaron introduced rapper Eminem’s explicit lyrics from a 1997 hit, “Bonnie and Clyde,” and compared his music to his latest album, “Recovery,” where the rapper’s image has changed for the better. 

And while change is not always bad, a constant is not always good. And parents are advised to think twice before showing certain Disney movies at home. In classic animated films such as Alice in the Wonderland and Peter Pan, tobacco use is glamorized. And in Dumbo, Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast, consuming alcohol is depicted as a fun and harmless pasttime. 

And because repercussions of smoking and drinking are not shown in these Disney favorites, the noise generated in a child’s mind will conflict with the typical message of “Don’t smoke or drink because they will make you sick.” 

“This is why we need to start teaching our kids at an early age,” Lebaron said. “What they do when they are 5 will affect how they think when they are 15.” By understanding what children are exposed to, adults can better eliminate noise and instill morals and values. Stronger communication and a better understanding of one another will then naturally occur, he said.

As a parent of three and an 18-year law enforcement officer with the Long Beach Police Department specializing in drugs and narcotics, Lebaron has seen the results of youth violence as a result of the media. In the past 10 years, he has been actively involved in the drug abuse prevention program, DARE, educating police forces in Mexico and has educated parents across the nation about media violence.