Effects_of_Television_on_the_Kids

Effects of Television on the Kids Ram Prasad Poudel Effects of Television on the Kids My eight year old daughter is a die-hard fan of Hannah Montana. She has her tops with pictures of Hannah, her back pack to take to school with it and even her shoes have her favorite TV star images on them. Her accessories need to be the ones with Hannah Montana ads on them. This is not just my daughter and not specifically Hannah Montana, however, we can see in most of the households these days with kids where the kids are fans of one or the other child or teen TV icon. Whether it be Hannah Montana as in case of my daughter and many other girls, or Jack and Cody of ‘Suite life of Jack and Cody’, or even icarly’s Carly, and not to mention the Sponge Bob of Sponge Bob Square Pants, kids today are spending a major portion of their time watching these cartoons as well as the TV serials, almost adoring their favorite TV characters. However, we, parents, tend not to pay much attention to all these happenings and on the possible effects and impacts of these programs on the young mind of our kids. Children are like the uncooked clay which can be molded to any shape. What they are exposed to affects a lot on how they develop as an adult and how they think. There is of course the positive side of children watching TV. It can be a positive aspect of their lives at a young age if they watch the right educational programs. Choosing the right programs is therefore crucial for their development. There are various kids targeted programs such as nature shows to teach them about wildlife and the environment, and the fun cartoons that are entertaining, and at the same time, teach them valuable life lessons and morals. However if not be careful and just leave the kids watch whatever they like to, there is likelihood that they watch too much programs that may not suit their age group. TV can affect kids' health, behavior and family life in negative ways as well. Kids who spend more time watching TV spend less time interacting with family members. They are more likely to be inactive and tend to snack while watching TV thus leading to childhood obesity and overweight problems. TV viewing is probably replacing activities in their life that we would rather have them do (things like playing with friends, being physically active, reading, playing imaginatively, doing homework, doing chores etc.). The main problem starts when the kids tend to imitate whatever they see on the TV. My daughter likes to watch TV, and whenever she watches, she tends to skip her play time, her snacks and even her homework. If we seriously think about all these, it gets obvious to us that the TV time is robbing our kids’ proportional physical as well as health and emotional development. It is true that kids learn a lot from watching TV, however, at the same time; they should not let to be addicted to watch whatever and however long they want to. Some of the programs show too much violence. These result in the kids turning more aggressive and less responsive to violence on the long run. Likewise, most of the TV commercials on the kids’ channels are focused towards the kids. Many of them encourage unhealthy eating habits. They do not generally give true or balanced information about healthy lifestyles and food choices, and the kids being oblivious to these facts, tend to copy whatever they watch on TV. The majority of children who watch health-related commercials believe what the ads say. Another serious problem created by TV is the exposure that children are getting to programs of an adult nature, or with themes which may not be suitable for youngsters. Many teen shows promote implicit sexuality and wrong habits like smoking and bullying, and a lots of parents are failing to control the programs that their children watch. Children and television has become a very important issue within society and how it is affecting those who watch too much programs unsuitable to their age group. Children need to watch the right shows and not be subjected to too much TV that contains violence and bad behavior. Too much TV will only do harm although it might bring them entertainment for hours. The amount of time children watch TV, hence, regardless of content, should be moderated because it decreases time spent on more beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and developing hobbies. And whatever time they watch TV, that also they should be motivated towards watching both the educational programs and the entertaining ones. Ultimately, we, the parents, are the ones to decide what programs are appropriate for their age and personality, and stick to the ones good for them.