The world is moving on from TV sets, and rightly so. Find out why.
The television sets are often called ‘idiot box’ and the reason behind that is that a little after the television sets became accessible, everyone was interested in watching what the hype was about.
In this article...
- Why is TV watching harmful?
- How to decrease TV time?
Slowly, the programme list on the television grew along with the number of channels. This not only intrigued human beings but also glues us to the screen in anticipation of finding out ‘what happens next’.
From moms to dads to grandparents, almost everyone in the house is now addicted to these screens. However, we often forget that we also have children at home who are, if not mirroring, then at least getting affected by our actions.
The other day, while attending a class, a fellow classmate of my niece stopped the teacher and asked: “Why do people add stars on the TV when they say something?” To this, a friend of hers laughed and blurted a curse word explaining that bad words are not to be read, so they are censored this way.
Their teacher was shocked and taken back that kids, who are merely 9-10 years old, have such extensive knowledge of what are bad words and how does censorship work.
This goes on to show that children do take in a lot of information and retain it, even when we think they are not paying attention.
Pass time
Sometimes when parents are busy in some other work, they end up asking their kids to go ahead and watch TV. This helps keep the children busy, yes, but you lose track of what they are watching and that can be a harmful thing. So, instead of handing them a TV remote, probably hand them a book to read and pass time?
Child lock
This might not sound like a great idea, but it is one that is very important. Make sure that your devices have a child lock on them so that even when you let your child watch TV, they do not end up surfing content that is designed for adults.
Gadget-free time
Just make sure that you have at least an hour every day in your house which is a gadget-free time. You can use this time to bond with your family or give the well-needed rest to your and everyone’s eyes or indulge in some board games. Make sure it is a complete gadget-free hour. Also, try scheduling it before bedtime so that kids do not go to bed thinking about what they saw on the TV.
World’s a stage
Children love watching television as it gives them something to look forward to and be excited about. The creativity of the content makes them curious. So, one way of dealing with this obsession is to ask them to produce their own series. Make things interesting. Ask them to think of a plot, then for an hour every day, sit with them and discuss the dialogues and costumes. At the end of the week, you can help them put up a show for the rest of the family and friends.
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