Numerous gadgets and devices nowadays have become issues of contention. One of them is the Television. Parents and teachers are becoming increasingly concerned with the viewing habits of their children. For some of them, they see watching television as an engaging addiction, even for infants. To examine this issue objectively, it is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages to children watching TV.
So, what are the advantages of TV?
It is educational. It cannot be denied that TV offers programs aimed at educating children. These programs provide stories in the form of lessons that children can enjoy. TV programs are delivered in bite sizes with the knowledge that children have short attention spans.
TV can be a motivator. After watching and learning from TV programs, children are encouraged to experiment with age-appropriate objects. TV shows however provide a disclaimer about which activities can be tried by children and which cannot.
What are some of the disadvantages of exposing your child to TV?
TV is a buffet. This implies that there are multiple shows to watch. Children, if left unsupervised, may end up watching shows that are not meant for them – like those with sex and violence.
Children should not be given a free rein over the television. What is also extremely crucial is the amount of time that children spend watching TV. Several experts have advised a complete prohibition of children below two years old from watching TV. Children older than two years old, on the other hand, should watch only about two hours of television per day.
TV also has a strong impact on a child's brain development. Brain development is crucial within the first two years of a child’s life with more brain connections and stimulations achieved when the child plays as opposed to watching television. Watching TV implies a sedentary lifestyle which is not the best for kids.
The real task of parents lies with regulating the programs their children are exposed to. Parents should set the number of hours allowed for their children to watch TV and regulate which programs can be viewed. They should also stick around to monitor what the child watches and discuss the lessons learnt from the TV programs with their kids.
Picture Attribution:
"Red Tv Character Are Kindly Guidance. Create 3d Television Robot" by Boians Cho Joo Young/FreeDigitalPhotos.Net