Impact of The Television Habit on Children Development - Essay Example

March 21, 2009 The Television Habit Television viewing is rapidly reaching record heights. The pattern of watching too much televisionstarts young, with as many as two thirds of infants and toddlers watching an average of two hours of T.V. daily. When children reach the ages of 8-18, they watch at least 4 hours a day and then spend an average of 2 hours a day in front of a computer for recreational purposes or playing video games. While television itself is not bad, it interferes with time that is better spent elsewhere such as physical activity, reading, creative projects, and social interaction. Parents are overworked and stressed at levels unseen in recent times; they are working longer hours, sleeping less, and are faced with challenges their own parents did not face. This along with the greater numbers of single parent and dual income households means that the parents are stretched to their limits. The television is a convenient babysitter allowing these parents a minute or two to cook dinner, clean the house, and whatever other duties they need to complete daily. It is easy to tell a child to turn the television on, assured that they will sit there and be entertained. It requires a minimum of supervision, and ensures that there will be relative quiet while they are watching. I am guilty as are most mothers I know of allowing the television to help me with my children too often. I worry that if they play outside the serial killer lurking beneath the neighbor’s bushes may grab them. If they are in the house, as least I know they are safe. We have all heard too many stories of children that were left unsupervised for “just a minute” and were then gone. My mother has told me stories of when she was growing up, they were let loose all over the town to ride their bikes until dark as young as 7 or 8. Mothers in this day and time cannot comprehend allowing their children out of their site for long periods of time, let alone all day roaming over the entire town. We have to be more cautious because there are more predators now than ever before. So, if we don’t have the time to watch them outside, it is easiest to keep them safe inside in front of the T.V. . Television in small, monitored doses can be good for children. Certainly not all television is bad. Educational programming allows them to learn things they might not have had the opportunity to learn otherwise. It also shows them far away places so that the world seems a little smaller, and they experience more of it. However, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends no more than 2 hours of quality programming daily. Television is best used as occasional entertainment as opposed to a constant escape. There are educational video games and computer programs as well. Perhaps the answer is to limit the amount of programming children are allowed to watch and monitor the quality as well. There are obvious reasons to monitor the quality of television programming streamed into your household. Children who are watching 4 hours or more of television per day are more likely to be overweight and unhealthy. Witnessing repeated violent acts on television can make children desensitized toward violence as well as act more aggressive. TV also depicts risky behaviors such as drinking, smoking, and sex that are inappropriate for children to watch. Tools are available to help parents monitor the quality of programming they allow their children to watch. The two most widely used are the V-Chip and the parental guides. The V in V-chip stands for violence and it allows you to set parental controls so that the television will not allow programming that exceeds rating limits you set. This is most useful when children are older and may be changing channels when you are unable to supervise. Parental guides are the black boxes that show up in the corner of your screen during the initial 15 seconds of a show. There are seven different ratings that a show might be classified under. TV-Y is suitable for all children, TV-Y7 is directed toward kids 7 years and older. TV-G is suitable for general audiences, while it is not geared specifically toward children, there is little questionable content. TV-PG means parental guidance suggested; may contain an inappropriate theme for younger kids and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D). TV-14 is recommended only for children 14 and older. TV-MA is for mature audiences only. Watching for these guidelines at the beginning of programming should help parents decide what is appropriate or not. Some ideas that enforce good TV habits are; stocking the TV room with alternatives to TV such as games and books, do not allow TVs in the bedroom, turn off the TV during meals and eat at the table, and no TV during homework time. Parents should also set a good example by limiting their own television time, watching only appropriate shows, and talking with their kids about what is on TV. When parents would like to have the TV turned off, they should have a fun alternative in mind such as a board game, walk, craft, or other fun activity to do together. The major hurdle that most parents face is the lack of time they have. Parents get home somewhere around 6 and then have to make dinner, help with homework, and get the kids ready for bed. A helpful solution is to get the kids to help with dinner and chores. If necessary, allowances are great motivators. Children generally will help if they are asked in a manner that makes them feel needed and appreciated. When they feel they are part of a team working together, children are more likely to help their parents. This allows the children to both experience responsibility and the parents to share it; creating more time for quality activities as opposed to television babysitting. Most families will find that if the television is turned off, they become closer and happier as a family. Turning the television off, even for just an hour of true quality time with your children will deepen your bond with them. Shared experiences are a large part of what bonds a family together and it’s hard to concentrate on each other when the television is on. Make an agreement to turn the television off and do something for an hour at least 3 times a week to start. Introduce your children to nature by looking for bugs in the yard. Take the family dog for a walk and talk about the community that you live in. Play simple games that reinforce what your children are learning at school. Card games such as “Go Fish” are excellent at both entertaining and reinforcing what your children are learning. Crafts as simple as coloring allow your children to express their creativity and create something they can be proud of. Your activities need not be complicated, only interesting. Sit down and talk with your children; they’ll notice that you took time out of your day for them. Television by itself is both a powerful tool for learning and a severe detriment to real experience. The key is in finding a balance. Even “experts” agree that television has it’s possible benefits, the problems arise out of the overuse and exploitation of the TV. Set clear limits about what your children are allowed to watch, when they are allowed to watch it, and the amount that is acceptable. Tell your children your limits and offer good alternatives. By working together as a family you can break the television habit. Read More