Little Pictures

When catastrophic events occur and are broadcasted on television, it is near impossible to shelter children entirely from these images.  An adult might assume that the child is not paying attention to the graphic images, but it would be wise to limit the amount of exposure a child has to this kind of information.  When watching the news it’s easy to forget that small children are in the room, especially while in the grips of a devastating situation that even adults are having a hard time dealing with.  Even one exposure can leave the child feeling distressed, and these feelings could evolve into something more harmful to the child if overlooked.   

 Seeing disaster images on television can be traumatizing for children, especially when the situation is not properly broken down for them.  When things of this nature are played repeatedly on television a child might assume that each of these is its own event, as if they were under attack, or the world was coming to an end.  They may feel threatened seeing adults behave hysterically, cry, scream and rant.  Younger children especially can easily be confused listening to adults panic, particularly using language they don’t understand.  It is important to explain things to them in a way they can comprehend and reassure them that everything is under control.  It is up to adults to convince the child that they are safe, or the child can be left feeling troubled or even paranoid. 

Because children are small and have difficulty expressing their emotions it can be easy to forget that they are people, too.  People need closure in order to move on and assurance that everything is under control in order to feel safe.  What we are feeling, they are feeling, but they don’t understand why.  As adults we must limit children’s exposure to this kind of media imagery.  Although it is not logical to try and shield children from world events, it is important that these things be explained to them in a way that they can understand.  Just like adults, if the child shows signs of stress it is important that these symptoms be addressed and treated as necessary.