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Thursday, April 8, 2004
Too much TV for kids may lead
to attention deficit problems
Continued from page 4B
der watched at least five
hours daily.
Among 3-year-olds, only 7
percent watched no TV, 44
percent watched one to two
hours daily, 27 percent
watched three to four hours
daily, almost 11 percent
watched five to six hours
daily, and about 10 percent
watched seven or more
hours daily.
In a Pediatrics editorial,
educational psychologist
Jane Healy said the study
"is important and long over
due” but needs to be followed
up to confirm and better
explain the mechanisms
that may be involved.
The researchers didn’t
know what shows the chil
dren watched, but
Christakis said content like
ly isn’t the culprit. Instead,
he said, unrealistically fast-
paced visual images typical
of most TV programming
may alter normal brain
development.
"The newborn brain devel
ops very rapidly during the
first two to three years of life.
It’s really being wired’ din
ing that time, Christakis
said.
“We know from studies of
newborn rats that if you
expose them to different lev
els of visual stimuli ... the
architecture of the brain
looks very different” depend
ing on the amount of stimu
lation, he said.
Overstimulation during
this critical period “can cre
ate habits of the mind that
are ultimately deleterious,”
Christakis said. If this theo
ry holds true, the brain
changes likely are perma
nent, but children with
attention problems can be
taught to compensate, he
said.
The researchers consid
ered factors other than TV
that might have made some
children prone to attention
problems, including their
home environment and
mothers’ mental states.
The American Academy of
Interracial community that
withstood bigoted attacks
remains a spiritual haven
By Elliott Minor
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AMERICUS, Ga. - Despite
bombs, bullets and legal bat
tles, the interracial communi
ty Koinonia Partners sur
vived the racially tense 1950s
and ‘60s by remaining true to
its founder’s desire for nonvi
olence.
Now the rustic southwest
Georgia farm, surrounded by
peanut and cotton fields, is a
haven for people seeking
spiritual growth and more
meaningfid fives.
“If they had gotten testy, if
they had challenged the
establishment, if they had
gotten violent, they would
have been wiped out by the
KKK,” said spokesman David
Castle.
It was out of Koinoiua that
the worldwide housing min
istry Habitat for Humanity
International, was bom.
The farm’s other spinoffs
include the Prison and Jail
Project of Americus, which
campaigns for equal justice
and improved jail conditions,
and Jubilee Partners, near
Athens, which has helped
more than 2,500 refugees. An
outreach center at the farm
also provides more than a
dozen programs, including
after-school tutoring, com
puter training, health fairs
and activities for senior citi
zens.
Clarence Jordan, a farmer,
minister and Greek scholar,
Truth’ offers hope for
more authentie living
Continued from page 1B
Pediatrics said in 1999 that
children under the age of 2
should not watch television
because of concerns it affects
early brain growth and the
development of social, emo
tional and cognitive skills.
Jennifer Kotler, assistant
director for research at
Sesame Workshop, which
produces educational chil
dren’s television programs
including “Sesame Street,”
questioned whether the
results in the April Pediatrics
would apply to educational
programming.
“We do not ignore this
research,” but more is needed
on variables that could affect
the impact of early exposure
to television, including
whether content or watching
TV with a parent makes a
difference, Kotler said.
“There’s a lot of research ...
that supports the positive
benefits of educational pro
gramming,” she said.
On the Net:
Pediatrics: http://www.pedi-
atrics.org
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Kids advocate for other children
and themselves
E very child wants a
home,” says 12
year-old Cronetta. “So
help the children in the
world because everybody
needs a parent.”
Cronetta and her broth
er Robert, age 10 are
spokespeople for chil
dren in foster care who
are waiting for adoptive
families in Mecklenburg
neighborhoods. They
know what it feels like to
be waiting - they are
waiting for parents to
adopt them.
“Cronetta,is insightful,
engaging, and outgoing
- she has a strong sense
Cronetta and Robert are two of many children waiting
to be adopted in Mecklenburg County.
of responsibility, appre
ciates guidance, and has
a positive outlook on
life,” says long-time
friend Evelyn Dillard.
“Robert has an engaging
smile, pleasant personal
ity and has a special
interest in
music." Both
Cronetta and
Robert sing
in the church choir
together.
“I love my brother, he's
always been part of my
life.” states Cronetta. “I
want to be adopted into
the same family with
Robert."
If you are interested in
finding out more about
Cronetta and Robert or
other children awaiting
adoption, call Mecklenbuig
County Department of
Social Services at 704-
336-KIDS (5437).
Communities for Families & Kids
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION
founded Koinonia in 1942 to
show that blacks and whites
could live and work together
in the segregated South. It
incensed some whites that
both races dined together,
used the same restrooms and
got paid the same wages.
But Jordan remained firm
in his convictions, even after
opponents fired bullets into
homes, blew up the farm’s
vegetable stand and forced
Koinonia to go to court to get
three white children who
lived on the farm admitted to
the all-white high school in
nearby Americus. Koinonia’s
white children were consid
ered “tainted” because of
their association with blacks.
At the height of the turmoil,
a local grand jury labeled
Koinonia a communist group
and they were also banned by
at least two churches.
Jordan’s daughter, Jan
Jordan Zehr, said the adults
remained outwardly calm
through it all and said noth
ing to frighten the children.
“When they started shoot
ing into houses, the adults
stacked cordwood around the
back of the house closest to
the road,” she said. "Mom
said, T’m going to rearrange
the living room.’ So aU the
books got moved to the out
side wall, instead of the
inside wall. They very calmly
told us that if we heard shoot
ing, we should drop to the
floor.”
times physically go through papers and things of the past and
release them into the universe so you can move forward. At
this time she had left a job was on the verge of starting over.
That’s when she met some old friends that imearthed her sad
ness and fear of uncertainty. “As I left them, I also felt extreme
ly sad. What had happened to my strategy? In that moment, I
couldn’t see even a glimmer of my success,” she said. Instead,
I saw a vision of the boxes in both spaces that were left to tack
le. I saw the multitude of issues that I was stiU facing in order
to set my life on course-to choose my own Truth...As I contin
ued to walk up the street, refocusing on the work at hand,
knowing that I had to find a way to do what was on my long
list, I had the thought: Let things fall apart.
A few hours after reading that section I received a phone call
about a pet project that I loved and that has been in my life for
almost two years. The voice on the other end only spoke of
uncertainty and how the project would more than hkely end.
A few months ago or even a day earlier the information would
have destroyed my confidence and peace. But since I was still
reading “Choosing Truth” I reflected back to the section
“Things Fall Apart. Let them.” Then I hung up the phone. Tbok
a deep breath and said, “Things fall apart. Let them.” And I
picked the book back up and continued to read.
One of the greatest things about this book is that Cole does
n’t spout a bunch of grandiose theories. She speaks of her life
experiences and expresses the importance of self-inquiry to
individuals truly seeking the truth.
Throughout the book Cole stresses that truth isn’t dependent
on religion. In fact one of the most profound statements made
in this piece is when she says one can’t seek truth without run
ning into God.
I believe this book should be on the shelf of every person that
believes that truth must be chosen and followed in order to live
an authentic life.
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