Impact of Television

The first step of keeping your child away from the idiot box is to take the television out of the bed room. Make them understand that television is not a toy. Children under the age of nine cannot differentiate fantasy and reality. Hence all of them try imitating their heroes like ‘Shaktiman’ and Spiderman and jump from the buildings. We as parents should make them understand that these heroes do not exist in real life.

Another thing of worry is that television has become the new baby sitter.  From the time a child is born he or she is exposed to the idiot box. Watching TV is an inactive time. Sitting for two hours and doing nothing instead of playing can lead to obesity in kids. Many Watching TV commercials that highlight yummy junk snacks temps the kids to eat all things are the main cause of obesity in kids.

Again television is not just the idiot box, it can act as window to the world of knowledge.  Many channels do have wonderful contents and watching it makes the kids wiser.  Like National Geographic channel, Animal Planet and lot of travel show on TV enlightens us on food, culture and people from different parts of the world. There are many channels which increases the imagination power of kids. My son watches a lot of art and craft shows on TV and does it at home and in the evening when I come back from work, he gives me a surprise by making a puppet some time, a clown out of paper plate and even flowers out of egg cartons. 

Watching family programmes together is also a very bright idea. The whole family can sit together and watch TV and that I think is a fine way of bonding. You can also watch the news channel together with your mid –schooler and encourage her to ask you questions. That way the child becomes much more aware of the happenings around the world.