Providing concerned Canadian parents with resources to deal with media violence

March 26, 2001 (OTTAWA) - The Media Awareness Network (MNet) is pleased to see the attention given to the issue of media violence by Canada's broadcasters, cable companies and the Action Group on Violence on Television (AGVOT).

Last week, AGVOT unveiled its new Web site www.vchipcanada.ca as of which provides parents with useful information on the V-chip and the television ratings system developed by Canada's broadcast industry. Earlier this month, Canadian broadcasters began to encode the ratings into their programming, enabling V-chip equipped television sets to be used by parents to determine the programming available to their families.

"The V-chip can be a helpful tool, giving parents a certain degree of control over their child's media use," says Jan D'Arcy, Media Awareness Network Co-Director. "However, no technological tool can replace the fundamental skills we give our children through education and awareness. It is still very important for parents to be actively involved in their children's media consumption."

The Media Awareness Network believes that media education is an essential step in addressing media violence. MNet provides parents, educators and community leaders with the practical tools to help young people think critically about the media in their lives.

In recent years, Canadian parents have become increasingly concerned over the levels of violence in the media their children consume. This concern is demonstrated by the fact that many of the most requested pages on the Media Awareness Network's Web site deal with the topic of media violence. Over the past two years, the following violence-related articles, handouts and reports have consistently scored among the 15 most-visited content pages on the MNet site:

  • The Effects of Media Violence on Children
  • U.S. National Television Violence Study
  • TV Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages
  • Statistics on Media Violence
  • Managing TV Violence for Parents

This fall, MNet will launch its redesigned site, which will offer a new section for parents addressing issues related to young people's use of all types of media, including television, video games and the Internet.

The Media Awareness Network is Canada's national media education organization. A not-for-profit organization, its work is supported with funding from Canada's broadcasting, cable and telecommunications companies and federal and provincial governments. MNet was founded as a result of a CRTC initiative on children and media violence, and since then, has become an internationally recognized leader in media education and Web literacy initiatives.

Today, MNet's media and Web literacy programs and resources are being used by educators, parents, librarians, community organizations and policy makers, both across Canada and abroad. Its award-winning Web site receives over two million hits a month, and its programs have been endorsed by the Canadian Teachers' Federation, the Canadian Association of Principals, the Canadian Library Association, and the Canadian Home and School Federation.

For more information, contact:

Jan D'Arcy
Co-Director
Media Awareness Network
Tel: (613) 224-6892
Web site: www.media-awareness.ca