Negative effects of inappropriate televiewing merit parental concern
An increasing number of parents and teachers have become more aware of and concerned about the potentially negative effects that “inappropriate” televiewing can have on children who are too young to “take” the medium’s more cautionary offerings.
A number of them have asked for pointers on how to use TV for its best effects on very young viewers, and we’re happy to oblige.
First off, we should share that quite a number of child psychologists believe that children 2 years old and younger shouldn’t be exposed to TV at all. Their reason: Televiewing encourages passivity, the habit of merely receiving words and images created by somebody else.
On the other hand, little children should be encouraged to develop their own imagination and to enjoy playing, creating and interacting — not being perfectly happy just watching that sullen box in the living room.
Full-time job
Therefore, it’s very important to not use TV as an electronic yaya or sop for little tykes, which many parents and household help tend to do, just to get a much-needed break from the full-time job of taking care of very young children.
That’s a bummer, right? But, adults charged with the all-important task of taking care of young children should do the job themselves, or at the very least exercise supervision and control over what their little wards watch.
When the kids are older and are already going to school, they may be given greater freedom in their choice of shows to view. However, the time they spend in front of the TV screen should be closely regulated and limited, because adult fare is screened on TV even during the ostensibly “safe” daytime hours.
It’s recommended that kids watch TV for only two or three hours a day but, this rule of thumb is practised more in the breach than the observance, because some children watch television for five or more hours a day!
Social interaction
This not only takes valuable time away from studying and homework, but it also further exacerbates passivity and lack of exercise and social interaction.
To be sure, some TV shows are creative, and helps educate children by providing them a wide and exciting window to the world. But TV can also perplex, confuse and confound by promoting the wrong values and exposing minors to experiences that they’re too psychologically unformed to adequately handle.
As for teachers, they can do a lot by learning how to use the media, TV included, in a more enlightened way, and then teaching their students how to do the same.
TV used to be regarded as a harmless distraction and diversion, but parents and teachers today realize that this isn’t so — that TV has become one of the most pervasive and potent influences in all viewers’ lives, especially the young people who tend to accept and copy everything they see on that little boob tube.
