Parents need to monitor how much TV their child watches
SUMATI SIVASIAMPHAI
Annie's five-year-old daughter, Jane's best friend is from the US and is called TV. Jane loves telling her mother what a great friend TV is: "Mummy, TV is always there for me when I need her, and I love that she is so fun and can show me so many things!" Annie loves TV because it keeps Jane entertained for hours on end, and TV can teach Jane a great many things. However, when Jane is away from TV, Annie notices that she does not talk very much and is often distracted. Only in the presence of TV does Jane become enraptured and interested.
Let us meet this friend, "TV", that has captured the minds and attention of so many children, and parents alike: Television.
Like a good friend, TV is always reliable and always entertaining. However, even a friend with the best intentions can turn sour. TV can start peer pressuring you to abandon your other priorities and turn away from school. TV can turn into the jealous friend, who does not want you to talk to or spend time with anybody else.
In the same way that all healthy relationships survive via balance and understanding, the amount of time children spend watching TV is one that needs to be fine-tuned to avoid unfavourable results.
Dr Pikul Arsirawech a paediatrician at Samitivej Hospital, has observed that parents often rely on TV watching to guide and teach children below the age of two. She says, "Most parents encourage kids to watch TV because they see it as a tool for learning language."
Parents notice remarkably calm behaviour in children while watching TV, which Dr Arsirawech says is why "attention to television makes parents understand that their children are learning".
She advocates that parents should play the role of moderators and supervisors to ensure that their children obtain beneficial results from watching TV. The advantages of watching TV as seen by Dr Arsirawech is that it is "fun and a good education tool when used appropriately at the right age." However, Dr Arsirawech believes in order to guarantee that TV watching is appropriate involves choosing "good programmes, and it is real useful if parents are watching with them and guiding them through".
On the other hand, when TV becomes the dependent friend that needs attention on a daily basis, it can have detrimental effects on a child's development. Dr Arsirawech has observed that "too much TV causes children to have less communication and socialisation skills because TV is just one-way communication."
As a result, children have a lack of interaction with their peers in the outside world. In an academic environment, a dependency on watching TV is also disadvantageous. According to Dr Arsirawech, TV "shortens the attention span in children because watching TV consumes a chemical in the brain that heavily impacts attentions. There is a vicious cycle when children stop watching TV, because they will have no attention left for other activities."
Dr Arsirawech recounts that there are numerous incidents where extreme TV watching results in children not being able to speak when they reach the age of two. In these cases, Dr Arsirawech says that "children develop their own language [neologism], which is often found in autistic children."
One of the factors for this condition is parents associating TV watching with all aspects of a child's daily routine. Dr Arsirawech says that this problem begins if parents start letting their children watch TV from a very young age of around five or six months old, where parents "raise kids with TV when bathing, feeding or any activities to understand that their child is learning."
She has also observed that parents have a tendency to replay TV programmes frequently in small children below two years old, which she absolutely does not recommend because it hinders the development of the child.
In addition to hindering cognitive development, excessive TV watching also leads to noticeable physical concerns. Dr Arsirawech has observed that the main problems include slow and reluctant speech, negative effects on eye health including an absence of eye contact, and problems as a result of lack of exercise. Dr Arsirawech also remarks, "children who watch too much TV are prone to repetitive behaviours such as toe tapping, flapping hands, and spinning around as if they live in their own world."
Even in the unhealthiest relationship, there are many measures that can be taken to rectify and improve the situation. Dr Arsirawech suggests that if parents notice their child is codependent upon TV watching, they should consult a paediatrician and try to reduce the amount of TV watching.
"Special therapy to start interactions with kids and parents tends to make the problem better, but it really needs commitment from parents," warns Dr Arsirawech.
In order to avoid the problem of excessive TV watching, Dr Arsirawech also offers a few tips for parents:
- No TV for children below two years old.
- Maximum 30 minutes of TV time for children in kindergarten.
- Maximum one hour of TV time for children in elementary school.
- Parents should watch TV with children.
- Encourage kids to interact with their peers and do other activities.
- Find a balance between TV watching and children's normal routine.
- Watch TV programmes that are appropriate for a child's age.
If your child is able to maintain a balance when it comes to watching TV, it can help him or her become well-rounded in other aspects of life. Finding a balance will ensure that your child can find a friend as good as TV, but in the form of a living being, and not a flashing rectangular box.
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