When children get expose to cable TV

In the early 90’s cable television entered in our houses and with the passage of time it has become a part of our lives. Now it is common that people in almost every house have get access to cable TV. The 24 hours availability of international TV channels is affecting the life style, attitude and mentality of people at large. Children are getting some special influences and effects from it, as they are now expose towards many such things in little ages which are even new for their parents.
The effects of cable television on children are both positive and negative. It depends upon the type of channels which children use to watch. Through cable TV they can get more informative material, which can add to their knowledge. But normally we switch on TV just for entertainment. That’s why children in our society most of the time think that TV is tool of entertainment and amusement. When they want escape from studies they sit in front of TV and look for entertainment programs.
Most of the children are attracted towards the Indian TV channels because their language is about same but there is a lot of difference in the culture and ethical values. So there is great difference in their programs also. Children are very much attracted towards the glamorized Indian programs. When they watch there a different life style and culture they get confuse because there is a lot of difference between the environment that they watch on TV, and in which they live. As a result they start adopting different things from TV with out knowing its impact.
The language codes, dressing style, way of walking and talking, attitudes, hence the whole life style of children start becoming change. One can commonly find children speaking in the style of any Indian actor. Their vocabulary is also change. They easily use Hindi words in their routine talks. And above all they are becoming more and more familiar with Hindu customs and religious festivals. This is a big disaster of cable TV that a child may not know in detail about any Islamic issue but he knows what is done in Holy, Dewali, and Baysakhi etc. He sings Indian songs, knows the names of almost all Indian TV, Film actors, singers and anchors. A distance is building up between children and our own traditions, culture and values.
Along with entertainment program Cartoons are most favorite thing for children to watch on TV. It is a big mistake of parents that they leave children in front of TV for hours to watch cartoons. Parents think that they are watching a childish program which will not create any harmful or negative effect on children. But if they analyze cartoons they will come to that there is lot of violence and vulgarity in cartoons. Look at the favorite channel of cartoons “Cartoon Network”. There are so many cartoons in which they use indecent dressing, abuse language; the structures of different characters are also made very vulgar like in “Cow & Chicken”, “Johnny Bravo”, “Flintstones” and the most favorite program “Tom & Jerry” consists mostly on violence. When a child gets continuous exposure to such programs, he may tries to practice it in real life because in cartoons they never feel the essence of pain resulting from any bomb blast or accident. All these things are shown in very funny way in cartoons which attract children. Children who watch more cartoons become violent in very unobservable way.
In this way our ethical values are destroying. Another bad effect of cable TV is especially on students. Now they have more channels to watch on TV so they spend more time in watching TV neglecting their studies. Students most of the time discusses with friend the stories of Indian Dramas, Movies; or any song or program.
It is the duty of parents to have a check on the programs that their children are watching. In most of the houses it is common routine that parents them selves watch cable TV with great interest and their children also sit with them. They do not realize that there is a great difference in their and children’s mentality. They know what is good and what is bad but a child has a very raw mind and he accept every thing very quickly. So parents have to give sacrifice for the betterment of their children that the program which they think can negatively affect their child should not be watched in their home.
In this global village one can watch any thing happening in any part of the world and it is not possible to stop the flow of information. But it is very important to have a check on what is coming to us and what would be the impact of it. Especially children who are going to build the future of our country must have very clear mind, free from outer influence. In this regard parents have to play a very sensitive and responsible role.

by:
Syeda Afsheen