Media – Harm or benefit : Part 4.TV

TV has become an inherent part of any home, as well as the main means to reduce tension, mood, to get information, to keep abreast of events. It is so entrenched in the pattern of modern life, that its temporary absence lead to depression and nervous breakdowns. Watching television is a great way to escape from loneliness and many programs and reality shows in general create the illusion of communication. Television has become widespread addiction. TV can be turned on all day and work only as a background noise. Someone cannot sleep without it, another become accustomed to eating, looking at the screen.

TV is not only in each apartment. Director’s office, hospital room, halls and corridors of many enterprises are equipped with these devices. All the information, presented via TV, is seen as an undeniable fact, television is unquestionable authority. A projection of beautiful life on the blue screen, the dream of a bright future and the ideal relationship literally creates a vacuum or vice versa, a fluffy pink cloud in which a person feels happy and free.

Unfortunately, the dependence on a blue screen covered not only adults but also children. Doing household chores adults not suffer from the noise of the TV, they are used to filter the information, where a child is extremely hard to tear away from the screen. They are trying to see and hear everything that is broadcasted. As we know, the child absorbs everything like a “sponge”. Parents should not think that their baby, which is less than one year of age, playing nearby the working TV is completely oblivious to it. Always working TV in a room where there is a small child, is harmful to health. Ceaseless background noise leads to irritability of the child and is the main cause of poor sleep and the vagaries of small children.

The familiar phenomenon of our time is the child, frozen at the TV screen, looking keen onto the flashing images. TV becomes a usual pastime in the first place for our children, which before was used for its rightful outdoor games near home and on the street.Children have become hosts of many physical and psychological problems. Today many of them have no knowledge of children’s amusements, like the classics, flying kites, playing in the sandbox, etc.Not to mention the fact that the offer to buy tickets to the theatre nowadays usually is perceived by children with surprise. Why to travel somewhere else when there is a TV! Television effectively isolates children from the outside world.

Many parents are familiar with this situation very well, hence most moms and dads believe that a child should be protected from the TV. Some people even use the TV as a means of influence on the child, “Do lessons – Look cartoons.” At the same time, almost all parents, as children themselves stuck to a blue screen, trying not to miss their favourite cartoons and programs. Hence there is a question: Is desire for TV so ingrained in our lives that is passed from generation to generation?

Of course not. Times change, so the TV contents change. But the specifics of the child’s perception remain unchanged. So, undoubtedly, the duty of the parents is to approach this problem sensibly and not shy away from it.

Here are some details of the impact of television on the child and man as a whole. The beneficial effect of the TV is the pleasant pastime for the child shared with other family members.

Television informs children about different cultural events. Watching educational programs on television helps children complete their schooling, which affects the learning process extremely efficient. Quality television programs have a positive impact on the process of bringing up children – provide knowledge about important spiritual values, the lessons of history, etc. Watching programs helps children learn to understand the different genres of art. Especially in small towns television is the only way for children to see the best performances, see a concert of world celebrities. Documentary film, especially for kids, opens the world for a child.

But modern TV – it’s not only beautiful and funny melodrama concerts. Abundance of criminal transmissions, thieves and rapists make some confusion in the viewer consciousness. Many crime reports are seen as the next blockbuster and a person stops to think about the real danger to society. Ruthless and merciless stories do not disturb. People are used to all this, and have not notice that as resigned to the lawlessness.TV – is force! And any force can have both positive and negative effects.

Negative impact is that TV atrophies people creativity and increases passivity. The person does not want any mental and physical activities .Excessive pastime watching TV causes aggression and sudden violence in a person.

Watching movies and programs with the scenes of cruelty and violence have the most negative impact on the psyche of children and their future development. Constant watching TV significantly reduces motor activity of children and, therefore, causes obesity. Television is often the cause of children’s addiction to junk food – fast food. Moreover, this “food for snacking” actively advertised and promoted by many commercials.

The abundance of programs about sex and with sex scenes too early introduces children to the adult life. Such early practice adversely affects the mental development of children. Prolonged sitting in front of TV is often the cause of poor performance of the child in school. The kid just did not have time to teach and prepare their homework. Negative impact on children affected by a number of programs and commercials that focus on physical beauty is that this leads to the formation of abnormal values ​​in the child. In some cases, a feeling of inferiority and depression.

The child may develop a psychological dependence on television. To evoke or prolong a sense of relaxation that he feels while watching television, the child will seek more and more time in front of the TV.

Bright flashing cartoon characters facilitate the work of a child’s brain in thinking about the world. The same can be said about the commercials and TV shows, which are very concise and simplified idea. Children do not even have to absorb – it’s obvious and children choose and learn the easiest way. As the result – the child does not want to read, does not know how to occupy themselves and want nothing but watching TV.

On average, our children spend at the screen for 10-14 hours a week. This is the time which could be spent on full of motion games, reading, walking in the fresh air. The result of “sticking” to the screen is changing the child’s health for the worse. Nervous system of children suffer, eyes ruin, even metabolism worsen. The child becomes tearful, naughty, with bad eating and sleeping problems.

Professor of neurology at a university in Germany, Manfred Spitzer conducted statistical analyzes, which resulted in found a direct correlation between time spent watching television, and deaths due to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. According to Spitzer, every year diseases acquired from overuse TV, kill about 20,000 Germans. And this is among one of the most tolerant nation in the developed world in term of television.

“As it turns out – the TV must be eliminated?” – A concerned mother would wonder on reading the text above. Ideally – yes, eliminate. However, one cannot deny that absolutely refuse to TV – too extreme. Also it is clear that this step requires some changes in the life course and not everybody is ready for this or even the modern man would never go to such extremes. Therefore, the best option will be to find a compromise solution.

Meanwhile, according to experts of the National Institute of Health (St. Petersburg), a few simple rules will significantly reduce the possibility of health problems.

1. Do not allow your children to sit up at the screen more time than allotted by you. Cartoon ended – means it is over for watching TV.

The appearance of the bad habit in the child sit all the free time in front of TV depends on the attitude of the parents to watching of television. If the family are serious about the health of family members and watch a TV only when necessary, the problem of weaning the child away from continuous view TV will disappear by itself. To educate a child of a right attitude to television from a very early age, we should set up a particular rules in term of TV and not allow the child to be in the room where the TV works longer than the time set by experts.

This is the following: children under 2 years of age are allowed to watch TV no ​​more than 15 minutes, from 3 to 6 years old to 40 minutes, from 7 years and on – to 90 minutes a day with a break for 5-10 minutes.

2. Notice how far away is a baby from the monitor – ideally it should be no closer than five feet and no more than five when it comes to old TV with cathode-ray tube. And another rule acceptable for TV with LCD monitors says the safest distance for watching TV is 3-4 diagonals of TV. Otherwise, the children’s eyes is at a real risk of visual impairment, and most of all – forever.

3. Never let your child watch TV in the dark or even in the dim light! The high contrast between the bright screen and the lack of light around causes a noticeable eye tension, even in adults. Leave any lighting – top or side that will not interfere with your eyes and reflect on the screen.

4. Modern LCD monitors emit electromagnetic radiation to a much lesser degree than the old cathode-ray tubes. Therefore, if your TV is out of date, keep the baby from harmful radiation. This screen TV should be at eye level or slightly lower.

5. A place to sit in front of the TV should be comfortable. It is not difficult to put a chair with a back or a cosy armchair. If the child is uncomfortable, it will take the most unimaginable poses. However, the main thing is not to sit at too acute angle to the screen.

6. But the most unacceptable – is to watch a movie or program while eating. Distracted by what is happening on the screen, experiencing different emotions caused by what is seen, you deprive yourself of proper digestion and stand on a direct path to a stomach ulcer.

To be easier for baby to accept the rules of communication with the TV, give them a good example. After all, these rules apply not only to the children. Accustomed to limit TV for themselves, too, you agree to show your children that life cannot be less interesting than viewing a movie. And after watching a hilarious comedy, turn off the TV and go for a walk as a family.

This, of course, is not about not to watch TV. In fact, to eliminate from the most popular media, we cease to be in the thick of things and we risk being marginalized in the social, political and cultural life. And as well, coming home at night to relieve stress by watching a favourite TV show or interesting movie. The main thing – it is not to forget the old immutable truth that everything is good in moderation.