Age-appropriate Media Exposure?
The Formative Years (birth to age Seven)
You are encouraged to eliminate your child’s exposure to electronic media in its various forms. The Waldorf approach to the care and education of the child recognizes the first seven years to be the principal formative phase of life. The development of bodily organs, the foundations of speech and thought are affected by what the child absorbs from the surrounding environment. Children learn through their natural openness and through their gift for imitation. Children in this age group do best playing, running, jumping, and getting lots of fresh air rather than sitting in front of a machine that overstimulates and provides no benefits to the physical body.
Achieving a Peaceful Inner Life (ages Seven to Ten)
Parents are encouraged to continue to limit media both for its physiological effects, as well as the impact that the content can have on a child’s developing consciousness. Avoid all media during the week (Sunday evening through Friday afternoon). Children in this age group are developing their inner feeling life and their imagination needs a peaceful environment in which to unfold and an atmosphere worthy of imitation. At this age, your child might complain, “I’m bored.” Out of their boredom, children develop their will forces — the foundation for future love of work. What a wonderful opportunity for you to help your child create activities on their own, such as reading, painting, cooking, gardening, and healthy outside play with peers.
Balance and Awareness (ages Eleven to Fourteen)
When children reach the upper grades, there is a greater pressure and growing curiosity regarding technology. Steiner recognized long ago that technology may not be completely avoided, but should be used with awareness. It is observed that children in this age group may state that “Everyone in the class has a cell phone, email….” It is suggested that the parents stay in close communication with each other, as this may not be the case. Teachers find that technology at this age can create a social discord between those who use technology and those who don’t. Parents are asked to use their judgment about media usage at home and to consider the larger issues that this may create in the classroom of your child. A suggestion is that if you do allow your child to use computer games, iPods, videos, etc., that it be limited to only a few hours on the weekend with no media exposure during the school week.