Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Children Watch ‘Survivor’

“Who Will Survive?” headlines People magazine, echoing our national obsession with the TV juggernaut “Survivor II.” We may be the only voices questioning this survival-of-the-fittest game fest, but it’s because we strongly believe this “Survivor”-mania is poisonous for our young adolescents.

“Survivor” is hardly the only TV show to be transmitting warped values, but the hoopla surrounding the CBS program makes it a good example for parents to chew on.

“Survivor” is more aptly a survival of the wiliest. In this brave new Australian Outback world, trust is nonexistent and self-interest by any means wins. Underneath the insect salad bar and breathtaking stunts, there are palpable lessons endangering our children, especially 10- to 15-year-olds. Consider:

1. The language on “Survivor” is all about backstabbing. The morning after, talk-show heads fan the flames of bad-mouthing.

2. The message of the show is that looking out for No. 1 justifies anything, from insincere posturing to lying to snooping.

3. Trust is nowhere in sight. To trust is to err. (Ask Kel.)

4. Banishment is the weekly climax for a soul who fails to excel at conniving.

5. Self-interest is supreme. The almighty dollar is worth any humiliation and every emotional betrayal.

You may be thinking: “Lighten up, it’s just a show.” We can’t.

The world that 10- to 15-year-olds face is a jungle, one where backstabbing is real. Preteen boys and girls are fragile, trying to figure out who they are and insecure about their worth. A climate of cruelty reigns already in middle schools across America. As youngsters discover peers at around age 10, they look for instructions on how to relate, how to make alliances and, they hope, friends. They are panicky about making mistakes, saying the wrong thing, wearing the wrong shirt, having a bad hair day. They are terrified of being shunned and banished from the group. Their primary worry is whether the others like them and will accept them. If so, then they feel good; if not, they feel worthless.

A TV show like “Survivor” and our national mania over it validates toxic values for our young. While cliques have always been part of growing up, we live in a more violent world and, post-Columbine, cliques have taken on more urgency. We need to ask more questions now. So let’s ask “Survivor II”: Where is the value of basic goodness? Nowhere. How can a child come away thinking that some human beings really are trustworthy? Not here.

We want our children to know that mistakes are OK, not cause for getting kicked off the island. There really is something more important than winning, even winning a million bucks. There really is a way to work with others, not just annihilate others, though not in “Survivor”-land.

It’s more than ironic that “Survivor II” is facing off with the sitcom “Friends.” If “Survivor II” wins and our young adolescents learn its lessons well, friends, friendship skills and decency will be blown away.