Okay, such measures may seem a tad extreme, but judging by the onslaught of studies released this week about child development, kids seem destined to self-destruct under the influence of video games, advertisers and television.

Now, the creators of the long-respected educational series "Sesame Street" are drawing fire from the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood because of the DVD series "Sesame Beginnings" (released Tuesday), a product for parents and tots as young as 6 months. Critics say the DVDs are product endorsements and branding tools and cite the American Academy of Pediatrics' advice that children under 2 not watch TV at all.

In addition, studies published by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine suggest that media like television, video games and movies may help foster a young generation of cranky, sex-crazed, anti-social shopaholics who guzzle booze, smoke pot and are overweight (see capsules below).

In a city where many parents fret over every detail of their children's lives, or simply worry about the kids making it home from school safely every day, this deluge of data may drown some moms and dads in fears that they are raising monsters.

But before you pulverize that PlayStation and trash your telly, consider this: Sure, no one wants to raise an unhealthy couch potato or a child who prefers reality TV to actual reality. But banning entertainment from your home may not solve all these woes.

Nurturing New Yorkers are figuring out ways to care for kids in a world saturated with sensory overload. Brian Overcast, a nonprofit worker from Chelsea, says he and his wife opt for "moderation" when it comes to their 9-month-old daughter, Reilly.

"We only give her one video or one TV session per day, usually 30 minutes or one hour per day," he says, adding that TV helps Reilly recognize color patterns and how to follow narratives. "It's a learning tool."

Taking a page from Overcast's book, Sandra Sanchez of the upper West Side, who cleans homes and offices and is a mom to two boys, Khrystian, 9, and Matthew, 14, regulates her sons' video game time.

"My kids love to play all the time," says Sanchez. "They are more interested in the games than in school. The PlayStation is now in a safe box. They can only play it on vacations or after they do their homework. That's the way I do it."

Instead of worrying that your kids are addicted to TV and video games, try taking part in their leisure time. Parents can use pop culture as a tool to educate a child about content - be it violent, sexual or just plain fun.

"There is great importance of early conversations with a child, of singing to a child, of helping that child explore the world," says Rosemarie Truglio, vice president of education and research at Sesame Workshop. She adds the "Sesame Beginnings" DVDs are "a wonderful opportunity to reach parents turning to the media for help."

Studies also show that good old quality time can also work wonders in raising a healthier and happier youngster.

For example, a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that children who have two or fewer family dinners a week are three times as likely to try pot, two and a half times as likely to smoke cigarettes and one and a half times as likely to try alcohol than those who eat with the family five times or more.

"We don't like to look at the social inequalities at the root of so many problems like violence, obesity and early pregnancy, so we blame it on [media like] TV," says Karen Sternheimer, author of "It's Not the Media: The Truth About Pop Culture's Influence on Children" and a sociologist at the University of Southern California.

"We also tend to overlook the ability of kids to be critical consumers of popular culture," she says. "They know the difference between fantasy and reality at a very early age, largely in part due to their media exposure."

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Snapshots of recent studies

VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE

In a study of male undergraduates ... those who played violent video games had increases in blood pressure, anxiety, depression and anger as well as more permissive attitudes toward alcohol and marijuana. (University of California, San Francisco, and University of Pittsburgh)

COUCH POTATO TOTS

In a national study of more than 1,000 preschoolers ... those exposed to more than two hours of television a day were more likely to be overweight (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

BOOB TUBE BLUES

In a national survey of more than 3,500 children ... those who watched more violent television spent less time with their friends. (Harvard School of Public Health)

MINORITY REPORT

Analysis of after-school programming on BET, the WB, and Disney Channel (the top-ranked choices for blacks viewers under the age of 18) indicates that African-American children may be overexposed to ads for food and beverages without equivalent messages about health and exercise. (University of Minnesota)

TV DINNERS

Children who watched more television consumed more calories. Each additional hour of TV watched per day was associated with an extra 167 calories. (Harvard School of Public Health)

PRUDISH PARENTS

Among teens whose parents express disapproval of sex, those who watch more than two hours of television a day may begin having sex at a younger age. (University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health)

FALSE PROMISES
Warning labels on 80% of mature-rated video games did not mention violence, blood, sex, profanity or substances portrayed in the game. (Harvard School of Public Health)

KIDDIE CONSUMERS

Children who spend more time watching TV, movies and playing video games may be more likely to ask their parents for things they saw in advertisements. (Stanford University School of Medicine)

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What, me worry?

What's your take on the latest crop of studies about the effects of video games and television on child development?

"New York is a violent place, so she's going to see a lot of violence anyway. But we don't like the idea that she's exposed to a lot of commercialism. Sugar sodas are a major cause of obesity in America, and we don't want her needing the next Barbie. I'd rather have her being a little out of touch than being materialistic."

Nick Giusti, 35, chef, father of Emilia, 9 months. Murray Hill.

"My son is watching 20 minutes a day. And I'm sitting there with him and explaining and interacting with him as the program is on. It's not like he's sitting there mute."

Alycia Fromberg, 33, freelance designer, mother of Nayden, 20 months, Ridgewood, N.J.

"Television is actually very bad, and the same with video games. His mom and myself try to avoid those as much as possible. There are a million studies out there, and you don't know who to trust. It depends on who's doing the study and what their angle is."

Jon Shireman, 35, father of Charlie, 2. Photographed on the upper West Side.

"I'm not against TV in any way. It's very educational. I grew up watching TV." Regarding video games, "Kids just love the violence. My friend just told me that her son, who's 21 months, picked up a sword and knew how to use it."

Meg Warren, stay-at-home mom, mother of Teddy, 22 months;
Jack, 3, and Ella, 5, lower East Side.

"All of that is in the future; my baby is too young. He watches videos - cartoons for babies - in the morning with his grandfather. But just for five minutes, that's it."

Nancy Amezquita, 40, mother of Julian, 8 months.
Works in real estate, lives in Harlem.

"I strongly feel that he doesn't need to watch TV. I think it's a crutch that parents use to keep them occupied. Kids should be just playing and exploring, even helping doing the housework. I'm hoping that since he's not watching it now, he's not going to be interested."

Janine Stavri, 40, freelance designer, son Oliver, 22 months, Chelsea.

With additional reporting by Jenny Clevstrom and Nicole Lyn Pesce