Watching TV - Advantages vs Disadvantages for Young Children

Are the children nowadays being literally brain washed into sitting in front of the TV for hours refusing to be disturbed? and wanting to have their meals in front of the TV too? These are some concerns most parents may be facing in this digital era. TV surely is capable of becoming an item of addiction if not controlled or given a set time frame to watch their favourite shows. On the other hand, TV too can be beneficial for entertainment and educational purposes. This is something we as adults should take time to ponder about their advantages vs disadvantages.The TV can also play an important part in children's learning despite the having all the other media sources  available for usage in the classroom context.

Advantages
I came across this (2nd picture) while scrolling through my Facebook wall and found it rather true. I had not realized a few minutes ago that these cartoons that I used to grow up watching had some sort of lessons behind it's storyline. TV also can be beneficial if the right programs or educational shows are available for children's viewing only such as Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer etc. Children's Language of vocabulary too improves as they learn to  pick up new languages or improve on the languages they already know. Moreover, some of these cartoons on TV, also teach good habits and moral values in the stories told. TV channels such as Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet etc could be used as ICT resources by the teachers in the classroom to expose children to the other parts of the world.

Disadvantages
Of course, with its advantages the TV also has its disadvantages. If a child spends too much time watching television every day, then he/she may become lazy and could make them forget about their responsibilities/ work needed to be done. Moreover, if a child sits too close to the TV screen too, it may affect his/her eye-sight. It is thus very risky for the young children who has a tendency of sitting very close to the television set. A child who has been sitting all day watching TV can become unhealthy because of the absence of exercise, which eventually can lead to obesity. 

A New South Wales Child Health Survey in 2001 revealed that 40% of children between 5 and 12 years old reportedly watched an average of 2 hours or more of television or videos each day.

It is also recommended that children under 2-years-old do not watch any television and that those older than two watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality programs as these first two years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. 

Television and other electronic media could replace children's inert need to explore, play and interact with parents and others, which in return encourages learning and healthy physical and social development. Therefore, it is important to find the right balance of time spent watching TV and for educators to understand how to fully utilize it by using it for the purpose of educating the child with it as a resource tool.

Sources:

Childhood, awesome childhood...[Image]. (2012). Retrieved from http://9gag.com/gag/2967039

Market Publishers Report Database. (2011). The Childwise Trends Report 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://marketpublishers.com/lists/10384/news.html

NSW Government Health. (2012). Childhood Obesity. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from www.health.nsw.gov.au/obesity

TV nowadays. [Image]. (2013). Retrieved from http://9gag.com/gag/6741213?ref=fb.s