Televisions had only just come out
when my dad was a kid; the whole family sat around together and watched some
‘family friendly’ programs and they bonded through this shared experience. Back
in those days, people only had one television and it was watched infrequently
(i.e. just for the evening news and maybe a family show on Saturday night).
Fast forward 50 years and we are being saturated by the ‘idiot box’. I remember
a line from Disney’s The Kid where
the protagonist’s eight year old self pays him a visit – when he put’s his
younger self in front of the TV to ditch him for a while the kid says “holy
smokes… you have 99 channels and there’s nothing on!” My father’s generation
would have been put off by that and would have read a book or (god forbid) have
gone outside to interact with others. Now we’ll watch whatever is on television
– regardless of whether or not it’s any good or if we like it. Why? Because
it’s something to do when we’re bored, it’s a mindless activity where we don’t
have to think or work hard.
 |
| Bruce Willis and Spencer Breslin in The Kid (2000) |
Now I don’t mind watching mindless
trash on television every once in a while, and although the TV can be educational (The Discovery Channel in small doses can raise your IQ and overall general knowledge) but from my observations, the next
generation is one that has been babysat by the TV. Sure, it keeps kids quiet in the short term when parents or other significant adults are busy (how many of us remember watching movies in primary school while the teacher marked our tests?) but the consequences of being inundated with a mass media content that children are unable to handle has it's ramifications. I’ve seen prep kids recite
the TV guide (along with parroting adult content they don't understand - but that's a different debate); I’ve watched a three-year-old sit and stare mesmerised at a blank screen for thirty minutes (I was amazed she sat still for that long) and I’ve seen plenty of
tantrums from school aged kids who have failed to make it home in time for
their favourite TV shows.
Experts in the UK back up these observations. According to research, young children who spend
more than the recommended time in front of the TV (and other screens such as
Ipads and Laptops) are more likely to face a wide range of problems in later
life. These include social anxiety, obesity, deficiencies in Vitamins A and D, shorter than average attention spans and sleeping problems. In some extreme cases, the brains scans of children who exposed to excessive screen
time have found the technological radiation has had a similar effect to those usually found in adults with alcohol abuse. Health professionals in the UK recommend that children under 3 should
have no more than 30 minutes of screen time a day, 4-8 should be limited to 90
minutes and that older children and teens (9-17 year olds) should suffice with
a 3 hour limit.
A friend who works in a bookshop has
noticed that there are books dedicated to helping parents ween their kids off
television. Tips include having a “TV Reduction Plan” with steps including rewarding
outside play and removing all forms of technology from their bedrooms.
This issue hasn’t happened overnight
or in a vacuum; but what changed from my father’s generation? Was it that it
became more accessible and integrated into our routines over time? Was it the
wide range of content that was offered to young people on TV and with the
downfall of radio that drew people in by the thousands? My guess was that it’s
a combination of a hyper-consumer culture that waits for no one, in conjunction
with a sliding slope of declining lifestyle choices that’s compounded the
problem.
These days watching television doesn't even have to involve owning a television! you can re-watch last night's show in your own time on the device of your choice; download a show from an overseas TV channel for free - there are even websites and social media forums which encourage viewers to network online while they are watching television! Being spoilt for choice, no wonder the next generation is being inundated with content.
Featured Image
The Kid, n.d. image viewed 10.10.13 <http://photos.lucywho.com/the-kid-photo-gallery-c14493631.html>
Featured Image
The Kid, n.d. image viewed 10.10.13 <http://photos.lucywho.com/the-kid-photo-gallery-c14493631.html>
I must admit, I am guilty of siting in front of the TV, channel surfing through shows I'm not really interested in. I grew up in a household with one TV, and usually what I watched was whatever Mum & Dad were watching (I have clear memories of sitting with Dad to watch Bush Tucker Man). The exception to this was Saturday morning cartoons, which my brother and I would watch while Mum & Dad slept in.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some interesting points about the TV being used as a babysitter, and as a teacher working with primary school aged students, I am sometimes shocked at the extent to which this happens. When asked about the TV shows and movies they like to watch, many students mention thing I would deem to be inappropriate. I remember back at uni as a prac student in a year 3 class, I couldn't believe my ears when a student recited the plot (and his favourite lines) from the movie American Pie. I wonder whether this is due to lack of supervision, or if the parents know their children are watching these things but don't care?
I find your post so interesting as too much 'screen time' is something that I too have been researching. A study in the US has found that many children watch up to 8 hours per day of 'screens' (i.e. T.V., iPhones, computers, iPads, computer games). I find that astounding! That's more time than they spend at school! In the age where children are almost born with an iPad in their hand, it will be interesting to see the results of longitudinal studies of exposure to 'screens'.
ReplyDeleteHannah I found your comments and findings really interesting for a number of reasons. First of all my family did not have TV until I was about 6 (in the early 1970's) and we used to watch some shows together as a family unlike my parents who had no TV at all! Then as I grew up we used to have all the regular family arguments about who could watch what and when with my Dad winning. Then when I had my own children we watched TV together, favourite show include Top Gear, My Family, and the odd movie or two. My children didn't watch too much TV other than Play School, Postman Pat, B1 and B2 and the like because that 's what we wanted as parents. My children don't watch too much TV these days, well not on the TV anyway, but they do download shows onto their laptops. I guess it all comes down to parental responsibility and parents actually taking time to check out what their kids watch.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting article for me. TV is one of the creative invention to make people lazy! :). The funny thing is that there is significantly growing of concern of exposed TV for young child. but at the same time, new feature of video game, smart TV and many more featured TV are released in every day.
ReplyDelete