Raising children without TV: Good or Bad?

By Sonia
Raising children without TV: Good or Bad?

In today's world, it would be hard-pressed to find households which do not have a television set. Working professionals, coming home after a long day at work, would love to unwind by spending sometime in front of the television. In such situations, the children at home also invariantly end up watching a lot of TV, including programs which may not be good for them.

 

Let us look at some of the reasons why watching television may be harmful for your child.

1. It decreases their playtime. While going outdoors to play with other children, it not only gives a chance for physical exercise, but also promotes social behavior amongst them. They will learn to interact with each other better.

2. Children who watch a lot of television are less likely to love reading. Studies show that pre-schoolers who watch a lot of television have weaker reading skills than their counterparts.

3. Television can expose children to a lot of negative influences like violence, alcohol, etc and that may end up giving them a skewed impression of life. They tend to emulate their favourite TV characters, which may lead them to habits like smoking or drinking.

4. Some experts claim that, watching too much of television hampers the mental growth of children. They tend to be obese and take longer to learn basic skills. In addition, it may cause harm or strain to their eyesight in the long run.

5. Commercials telecast on television have a lot of products which may seem very exciting to a child's mind. This would give rise to an increased demand for different kinds of toys and unhealthy food which they see on TV.

However, on the parallel, television is not all bad. When there is adult supervision, children can learn a lot by watching TV. There are many programs telecast which can be educational and inspiring for children. Here are some merits of your child watching TV.

1. Since it is an audio-visual medium, it can serve a greater purpose than books in some cases, as children tend to understand concepts better when the entire process is being shown in detail.

2. Many kid's movies have the quintessential moral of good triumphing over evil. This, to a certain extent, can help parents instill in them, the difference between right and wrong. Some programs would also give them an idea of acceptable and non-acceptable social behavior.

3. Television can help them see places and things which they have not been able to see otherwise. Channels like the Discovery channel has a lot of programs focusing on nature, technology and history. Howbeit, avoid having a television in your children's bedroom, as this makes it difficult to monitor what programs they watch and when.

Like everything available to us, television too has its advantages and disadvantages. Have a time limit on the number of hours of television your child can watch each day. They can have a favourite program which they would like to watch. But after that is done, make it a point to engage your child in other activities which do not involve the TV. Enforcing few rules can help make your children's TV time more effective.

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