Dont let the Box Be your precious one's Baby Sitter
Its often that you see toddlers, who have barely started talking, imitating popular dialogues and scenes from television. Are parent justified in any way? for letting their children into the commercialised and unmonitored world of television at a time when they should be bonding and understanding the real world
The usual reason parent give for leaving their toddlers in front of the Box is that it keeps them engaged and thus giving the parent the freedom to do their activities in peace.
The negative effects that this has on the child is numerous. The period from 9 months to 3 years are crucial to any child's life, this period is associated to basic character formation, motor skill development, muscle strengthening and lot of other important growth related factors that influence the child entire life.
The child motor skills development is affected in very adverse ways, once the child starts getting interested in the Box, it will be easier for the child to concentrate on the moving pictures and sounds the Box produces than to try and learn new motor skills. Studies have shown delayed walking and other motor skill having direct relation to the Box.
Such children also tend to be obese from an younger age due to physical inactivity.
The Box also induces unrealistic thoughts into the child's innocent mind. They are also exposed to Violence and other inappropriate material.
Such children also lack emotional attachments as they are more used to the artificial emotions that they encounter on TV(This is for the older group above 2). They also relate more to television than real life because the Box becomes an important part of their life that too early in life. Thus such children will lack proper understanding of life as it is. They also tend to believe that what they see on TV is real.
Most toddlers do live in a made up world of imagination ,but these children lack the ability to imagine for them selves and thus impairing mental growth and resulting in lower IQ levels later on in life.
The worst of all problems is the high chance of addiction to the Box seen in such children later on in life. These children also have very little bonding to their parents. The child bonds with its parents the most at this age and this is completely lost.
The Box has heavy psychological influence on the viewer to make the viewer decide what they like and don't. Such children as they grow become complete slaves to commercial and political influences the Box can exercise thus creating a generation that has very little decision power.
Parents should take this issue seriously and make sure that the BOX NEVER BECOMES THEIR CHILD'S BABY SITTER. Also for older children the amount of time spent in front of the Box should be never more than 3 hours a day(preferably less)
The usual reason parent give for leaving their toddlers in front of the Box is that it keeps them engaged and thus giving the parent the freedom to do their activities in peace.
The negative effects that this has on the child is numerous. The period from 9 months to 3 years are crucial to any child's life, this period is associated to basic character formation, motor skill development, muscle strengthening and lot of other important growth related factors that influence the child entire life.
The child motor skills development is affected in very adverse ways, once the child starts getting interested in the Box, it will be easier for the child to concentrate on the moving pictures and sounds the Box produces than to try and learn new motor skills. Studies have shown delayed walking and other motor skill having direct relation to the Box.
Such children also tend to be obese from an younger age due to physical inactivity.
The Box also induces unrealistic thoughts into the child's innocent mind. They are also exposed to Violence and other inappropriate material.
Such children also lack emotional attachments as they are more used to the artificial emotions that they encounter on TV(This is for the older group above 2). They also relate more to television than real life because the Box becomes an important part of their life that too early in life. Thus such children will lack proper understanding of life as it is. They also tend to believe that what they see on TV is real.
Most toddlers do live in a made up world of imagination ,but these children lack the ability to imagine for them selves and thus impairing mental growth and resulting in lower IQ levels later on in life.
The worst of all problems is the high chance of addiction to the Box seen in such children later on in life. These children also have very little bonding to their parents. The child bonds with its parents the most at this age and this is completely lost.
The Box has heavy psychological influence on the viewer to make the viewer decide what they like and don't. Such children as they grow become complete slaves to commercial and political influences the Box can exercise thus creating a generation that has very little decision power.
Parents should take this issue seriously and make sure that the BOX NEVER BECOMES THEIR CHILD'S BABY SITTER. Also for older children the amount of time spent in front of the Box should be never more than 3 hours a day(preferably less)
1 comment:
I would just like to say that it is a great pity that Television appears to be a political issue even with children. It has been well documented to what degree TV affects child development. Physiologically it affects the neural development in the growing brain which has repercussions in ability to concentrate and problem solve as the child gets older. It seems Governments would rather fund medication for children with ADD/ADHD than fund programs to teach parents that its fun to interact with their children and the TV is not an adequate replacement for human interaction. My son never watched TV at all until he was over 2 and now he is 8 watches less than 4 hours a week. Sometimes none! He has a very high IQ, loves reading and reads 3-4 years above his age level. We play games and do things outside. Unfortunately I am in a situation where he visits his father who believes TV/Foxtel/Computer games etc are good for kids. I now have a situation where my son would easily become addicted to these electronic items. I can only hope that the growth in his brain wont be affected at his age and that he will make correct choices eventually in limiting his exposure to TV etc. Kids grow up so quickly that I cannot understand why anyone would forego time with their child for the sake of time to themself. This time can be taken when the child is asleep or playing. Thanks for raising this issue. (Jo-Anne in Western Australia)
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