Small screen fascination
DR. M.VIJAYARANI
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Watching too many programmes on the television is psychologically harmful.
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K.R. Deepak
Today's children are in a world of rapid development. Optimal mental health is essential to cope with this development and to overcome the stress related to it. Environment plays a major role in the intellectual development. Television being a part of the present environment attracts children who spend hours watching both suitable and unsuitable programmes. The television also acts as a baby sitter.
Too much of it
But excessive television watching prevents the formation of new neuronal connections in the brain essential for language development. It encourages intellectual passivity. Studies have shown that children aged between one and three years who watched too much television were found to be aggressive, had decreased attention span, and scholastically backward. Watching violence on the small screen distorts the child's outlook of the world. They begin to think that it is a bad world. They react by being either scared or violent.
The television cuts down study time and playtime. It decreases social interactions, creative play, complex problem solving and reading time.
Few guidelines for parents:
Monitor the number of hours children spend watching television.
Decide on the kind of programmes kids can watch.
Encourage them to watch sports, News, Nature (environment) related channels.
Avoid violent and sexually explicit movies.
Develop an interest in them for outdoor and indoor games and reading.
Encourage social interaction.
Never watch television during meal times.
Parents and grandparents must avoid watching serials during study time.
Discourage installation of a television in the bedroom.
Parents need to have discipline and self-control.
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