Netflix Can Be Dangerous for Kids - Here is how

I started watching Mad Men on Netflix, being a social smoker, I don’t keep cigarettes with me, so I borrowed a few from my roommate. Next morning I was buying groceries when my eye caught the attention of the cigarette section behind the counter. It instantly reminded me of Don Draper smoke so much and so elegantly, without thinking I purchased the packet. Lighting up the cigarette I felt like Draper, successful, smart and rich. And I’m an adult, almost 10 years over the smoking age limit but the way Draper smokes got me hooked. Watching the series I had started chain smoking without even realizing what I was doing.

If a mature adult like me can fall into this, imagine what affect it could have on kids who are continuously searching for an ideal, be it fictional or non-fictional. This is also one reason why children of smokers or heavy drinkers develop the same habits as their parents, because they see them as ideals and want to grow up and be just like them.

A researcher from ScreenBinge takes a look at the serious effects of Netflix on children and their health. The Truth Initiative - a non-profit anti-tobacco organization found in its study that Netflix's shows featured smoking characters thrice as much as NBC, ABC and CBS. One of the most popular Netflix show, Stranger Things had 182 scenes showing tobacco usage. All this goes into the mind of our minors and they want to do what they watch on TV, and sadly smoking isn’t even the most negative element of these shows.

You might have noticed that shows these days are fueled by violence, drugs, alcohol and sex, some going to the extent of incest (for example GOT), these surely are violent elements that can lead children astray. More and more shows have drug references, which makes minors more attracted to taking part in such activities. When they see enough of these elements again and again and in multiple shows, they do decide to give them a try.

Same is the case with the over representation of erotic scenes, minors may indulge in unsafe sexual practices or build up such an obsession that may mess with their brains. This could also lead them to become adults with serious mental health issues.

Shows such as Narcos and El Chapo are also responsible to glamourize the world’s biggest criminals and drug lords which may lead children to act a certain way and find nothing wrong with it, in fact the shows have been produced and written in a way that the viewers starts idealizing characters that are responsible for thousands of deaths. Kids take a lot from television, like the recent case where a 3 year old girl put classmate into head lock for proposing her.

And that’s not all, your children can actually get addicted to binging on shows for hours and hours. Yes TV addiction is a real thing, most streaming addicts develop anti-social behavior and like watching their favorite shows. Cancelling social events to binge on Netflix is a big and dangerous sign that you or your child has really caught on to this addiction.

As per NBC, Dr. Renee Carr, Psy.D, a clinical psychologist explains, "When engaged in an activity that's enjoyable such as binge watching, your brain produces dopamine. This chemical gives the body a natural, internal reward of pleasure that reinforces continued engagement in that activity. It is the brain's signal that communicates to the body, 'This feels good. You should keep doing this!' When binge watching your favorite show, your brain is continually producing dopamine, and your body experiences a drug-like high. You experience a pseudo-addiction to the show because you develop cravings for dopamine.” This dopamine release is the greatest cause of binge watching and Netflix addiction.

According to Dr. Carr, "The neuronal pathways that cause heroin and sex addictions are the same as an addiction to binge watching. Your body does not discriminate against pleasure. It can become addicted to any activity or substance that consistently produces dopamine."

Psychiatrist at Laguna Family Health Center in California, Gayani DeSilva, M.D. explains, "So when watching a TV program, the areas of the brain that are activated are the same as when experiencing a live event. We get drawn into story lines, become attached to characters and truly care about outcomes of conflicts."

She further explains the in depth science behind it, "'Identification' is when we see a character in a show that we see ourselves in. Modern Family,' for example, offers identification for the individual who is an adoptive parent, a gay husband, the father of a gay couple, the daughter of a father who marries a much younger woman, etc. The show is so popular because of its multiple avenues for identification. 'Wishful identification,' is where plots and characters offer opportunity for fantasy and immersion in the world the viewer wishes they lived in (ex. 'Gossip Girl,' 'America's Next Top Model'). Also, the identification with power, prestige and success makes it pleasurable to keep watching. 'Parasocial interaction' is a one-way relationship where the viewer feels a close connection to an actor or character in the TV show."

How to Protect Your Children from Inappropriate Content

Luckily, Netflix has recognized this issue over the years and has taken steps to show age appropriate content and have given greater control to parents over what their children can watch.

For example, you can go to account settings and set a four digit password on your profile. This way kids won’t be able to access mature content and only access the kid’s profile. Follow the below steps to set password:

1. Go to Netflix, press on the kids profile icon, and then click Account.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Press on Parental Controls.
4. Enter your Netflix password.
5. Select your profile.
6. From the drop-down, choose what maturity ratings you want for your kids.
7. Click on the box under Profile Lock.
8. Enter a PIN.

However, obviously children will figure out that their profile is restricted and they may try to access content from your profile. To avoid this from happening lock your Netflix profile.

To Lock Your Personal Profile, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Account page.
2. Open the Profile & Parental Controls settings for the profile you want to lock.
3. Turn on Profile lock.
4. Enter your Netflix account password.
5. Click on the box to “Require a PIN to access the selected profile”.
6. Enter four numbers to create your Profile Lock PIN.

Wrapping Up

With the advancement and convenience of technology, it can be really hard to safeguard what your child watches. But taking corrective steps and staying up to date with the emerging technologies is immensely important to protect our children and their mental health and provide them with age appropriate content.

Comparatively, what’s great about Netflix’s rival Disney Plus is that it is a completely family friendly platform. So you really don’t have to worry what your kids are watching. Here are the 5 best Marvel TV shows on D+ that the entire family can watch together!