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Television
viewing among children in India is growing strong, a fact that underlines
the ambitious plans by several broadcasters to launch kids' channels
this year. But it is not just children's channels that the young
latch on to. As kids' viewing habits go from bad to worse, indiantelevision.com
talks to experts and parents to check if a middle path can be chosen.
"Our Bablu doesn't eat food unless we switch
on MTV," wails Bablu's mother. "Tina watches television
all day. I think I am going to cut off the cable connection next
year," complains Tina's mother.
Parents complain daily about the growing impact of TV on their
children.
Kids wake up to TV flashing news, come home from school to watch
Jerry bashing up Tom or check out another child thrusting his pelvis
in a kids' talent show. More often then not, the kids eat and sleep
to saas and bahu spewing venom on TV.
With long hours at school, tuition's and ever increasing loads
of homework threatening to take over a child's life, TV is the only
recreational activity available and accessible to child. So if a
kid is watching more TV than he ideally should, whose fault is it?
Lets take a look at the guilty corner...
The parents:
How many times do you come home and reach for the remote? How many
times do you switch on the TV so that your child leaves you alone
or doesn't make a fuss while eating.
Swati Salunkhe, director of Growth Centre, which specialises in
psychological counseling of young children, says, "Working
parents don't have enough time to interact with their children.
When both husband and wife come tired and late, who will have the
patience to read out a story or play Scrabble? Most families can't
even afford to enroll their children for swimming, tennis or karate
classes or take them bowling."
Even as they complain about television, parents themselves are
completely addicted to it. "Parents are so engrossed in watching
TV that they don't even think what kind of affect a soap opera might
have on a child's mind. And anyway, its is not as if the child learns
to switch on the TV set while he is in his mothers womb. Obviously,
the parents teach the kid," comments Salunkhe.
Salunkhe laments that divorces, marriages, love affairs and extramarital
affairs shown so frequently at prime family viewing time have made
children casual about human relations. Religious channels can increase
bias about certain communities. Soaps about black magic, obsessive
and compulsive disorders makes them believe that these things are
normal. Most of the characters try to get what they want either
by hook or crook and that's the moral the kids imbibe. Too much
exposure to bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, cartoons beating up
each other, has also desensitized them to violence and aggression.
"Coupled with parent negligence, exposure to such programmes
can be detrimental to a child's personality. Children's entertainment
too is mainly based fantasy or magic based. While the children's
programmes in the past like Vikram Aur Vetaal, Dada Dadi
Ki Kahani and Potli Baba Ki, had a fantasy element, they
did imparted some learning. Unfortunately such programmes are no
longer made. If not juvenile programmes, children have to make do
with entertainment meant for adults. What we lack seriously is healthy
entertainment for children," Salunkhe surmises.
The channels
Lack of meaningful programming aside, the ill effects of television
has on the kids health that parents need to take into account.
While poor eyesight and obesity are some of the problems that children
these days suffer because of TV, longer exposure to cathode rays
from TV also is supposed to affect the right brain.
Since an average Indian child watches TV for at least two hours
a day, it leaves very little time to do creative or interactive
work.
Kids product aside, even the ads for adult brands now target the
kids. The young minds often fail to understand the true value of
the products. It is because of such misleading ads that skimpy tops,
trendy clothes, ultra slim physique has become a necessity.
TV has made most children smarter but not necessarily intelligent.
For example, they can SMS but they don't know the logic behind it.
Children these days have extremely small attention spans. Since
television commercial breaks occur every 12 minutes, research shows
that they can't concentrate beyond 12-15 minutes on an average.
One cannot expect the television to shoulder the responsibility
as it is a commercial medium and will continue to function as long
as the method is effective. The onus lies completely on the parents.
If the consumption stops even the production will too.
So what can the parent do? Cutting off the cable connection is
not the solution. In fact, it will only make the child feel inferior
to others. He might feel left out from discussions about TV and
make him feel more curious about TV programmes.
Here is what experts recommend:
Parents can make television time a learning experience by asking
them to enumerate the ads shown during the last commercial break.
Kids should be given small tasks like drawing so that they don't
just stare at the television. Parents have to have a hawks eye over
what the kid is watching. If a kid is watching an offensive music
video, don't just ask him to switch channels. Tell him why he has
to switch the channel.
Don't just tell him that television is not good for him. Ask him
to explain what he thinks is great about watching television. Let
him understand what's good and bad for him.
Encourage him to questions. May be when he does question you about
a TV mom wear make up to bed, you can help in differentiate between
real life and a television act.
Don't be engrossed in the TV yourself.
Point out inconsistencies in reality while you are watching TV.
Parents need to make the kids aware about the fantasy element in
serials like Shaktimaan, Karishma Ka Karishma. They could
take the kid to TV shooting and point out how things are shot.
Most glamour and lifestyle shown on TV makes children think that
earning money is simple. Let them see what kind of hard work goes
into making a TV serial.
Parents should ask the child what he has learnt from the programme
just watched. Whenever possible, the parents should instill right
thoughts so that he doesn't take anything at face value and is encouraged
to think and differentiate between right and wrong.
Fix a time to watch TV. Try and not tune in to TV as soon as you
enter home or any time other than the schedule.
Plan what programmes you can watch along with your child in that
hour. It could be news, cartoons or soaps, all the family should
watch it together.
If there is an episode about TV villain kidnapping a child and
asking for a ransom of Rs 100 crore, take the opportunity to help
kid understand the difference between hundred, thousand, lakh and
crore.
In short, take control over the small box before it starts ruling
you...
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