If you don't want your child to watch it turn it off

Are you one of those parents who monitors what your children watch and make sure it's suitable and
age appropriate? No swearing, no nudity, no violence, no adult content? Or are you one of those parents who think it's ok for children to be exposed to those things so long as their parents explain the context of what's being shown? Assuming all parents who allow their children to view adult content actually do explain anything to them (what percentage do you suppose that is?).

You would have heard the saying, "If you don't want your child to watch it turn it off".

That has to be one of the most ignorant and irrational sayings I've ever heard. The type of people who say that either don't have children, don't care about the inappropriate things on TV or radio, have no intention of going against the inappropriate things going on around them because it's too much hassle, or have a vested interest in airing adult content. It's their way of shoving it under the carpet and putting the responsibility back on to parents.
In any case the response is not very useful to parents trying to shield their children from inappropriate content. Responses like that do nothing to reduce the amount of inappropriate content able to be viewed by children daily.

There are outdoor billboards, posters at bus and train stations, shows airing the latest music played on Saturday or Sunday mornings, songs played on day time radio with highly questionable and very adult lyrics including swearing, images in mum or dad's magazines, children who have accidentally viewed inappropriate content on daddy's phone, and who knows how many parents allowing their children to stay up past 8:30 watching inappropriate adult TV.

The truth is turning it off or changing the channel only works if everyone is doing it! Because if you're one of those parents who do allow your child to view inappropriate content (and there are many parents who do without qualm) those children go to school and talk to other children about that content. And even if many parents do "turn it off or change the channel" the statement implies it's only available for viewing on TV or radio, it also implies it's controllable with just a push of a button, where as it's really everywhere!

Example. I refuse to let my children listen to Anaconda. It has never been played in my house or my car and I've asked them about school radio and it's never been played there either. And yet I've heard my children singing the song (to which I tell them to stop - I don't want to hear it). I had one of my young children talk to me about seeing vagina's on a phone and even though we can't verify where they got that information from, i.e. how did they even knows vagina's are on phones, they still knew enough to say they are. So even though I am strict and "turn it off or change the channel" all the time, it has made minimal difference to what my children still get exposed to, because other children are exposed to it and like sharing it with others.

So, I encourage those who use that statement "turn it off or change the channel" to think about the bigger picture. What difference does it actually make? Does "turning it off" really stop our children from viewing inappropriate content? Or do we need to do more to prevent adult content getting into their impressionable young hands and minds - such as actually contacting those who air inappropriate content during the day and asking them to stop?

Instead of putting the onus on parents and telling them to police and educate their children, how about we keep the onus where it belongs. On adults who create this content then allow it to be easily accessed by children.

Instead of telling parents to turn it off it they don't want to watch it, police those who make inappropriate content. If it can't be made and be kept away from children perhaps it shouldn't be made in the first place.