Effects of Television on Children The Facts: Television is perhaps the most common source of entertainment of the Filipinos.

Perhaps it is also the most cheapest, convenient, and available form of entertainment for us. The Viewers Television Habits (AGB Nielsen Media Research 2006) Luzon households has an average viewing time Mindanao households are spending 7.3 Visayas households are spending at around 6.7 hours per day.

of

7.5 hours per hours per

day. day.

AGBNMR reveals that subscription to cable TV or pay TV increases the viewing hours. Cabled urban homes (21% of the national urban) spend an average of 8.3 hours per day, while noncabled homes spend 7.1 hours. Big families (five or more members) also have a higher viewing hour at 8.0 per day than small families (one to four members) at 6.0 hours per day. The study also shows, females watch TV longer than males. Kids aged 1-12 view the most at 3.7 hours per day, while those in their 20s watch the least 3.0 hours per day. The Effects: The good and the bad 1. The Good effects: Television gives exposure to children on different cultural experiences. Television also keeps children aware of current events and news related items. Watching educational programs on television help the kids use it effectively, as a complement to school education. Quality shows on television can impart knowledge and important values and lessons. Watching music concerts and art shows can make the kids aware of the various genres of music around the world. Television helps a child spending time with family members, when all of them are watching the same show. Watching documentaries, especially fragmented for children, open doors of world in their mind. 2. The BAD effects: Excessive television viewing is seen to trigger violence or aggression to children. Watching violent scenes at an early stage might make the kids scary of the world and find every other human being as a mean. Often knows as mean and scary worlds syndrome, it might push them backwards in taking decisions in life. Sitting in front of the television, for long hours, has been linked with obesity, as physical activity diminished considerably. Children become influenced towards eating junk food, as there is a lot of promotion on the television regarding the same.

The bombardment of sexual content on TV exposes teens to half-baked knowledge about sex at an early age, which is harmful for their mental growth. Devoting more time towards watching television leads to poor academiv performances, as a child neglects his/her studies. Many advertisements and programs shown on television focus on beauty products and physical beauty, shifting kids interest from studies. They start paying more attention to their overall outlook in extreme cases, they develop inferiority or superiority complex; leading to depression and underestimating themselves. Television watching also promotes lack of creativity and enhances passivity and physical workout. The sense of relaxation that kids feel while watching television diminishes completely when it is switched off. This make them watch TV for longer periods of time and makes them addicted to it. Television viewing creates the concept of gender-role and racial stereotypes in children, as they start considering it as very natural phenomena. Heroic acts are expected out of males, while women are displayed as objects and less powerful. 3. What parents can do? Teaching Good TV Habits Limit the number of TV-watching hours: - encourage kids to do something other than watch TV - Keep TV out of bedrooms. - Turn off the TV during meals. - Dont allow the kids to watch TV while doing homework - Treat TV as a privilege to be earned not a right. Try a weekend ban. Set a good examples by limiting your own TV viewing. Watch TV together. Talk to kids what they seen on TV. Watch only recommended children-friendly TV shows. Offer fun alternatives to television. Thank you very much