HOME MEDIA AND KIDS: A PARENTAL CONCERN

                                                      

The importance of television in our homes cannot be overemphasized. Watching news, sports, films, religious programs, historical events, academic programs, documentaries, wild and domestic life, music videos, reality shows, animations, cartoons, skill acquisition programs etc. It's obviously very important to have such gadget in your home. But what happens when this is abused or misused? What happens when there's addiction especially from the kids? 

What happens when pleasure dominates over morality and necessity? Do you get rid of your tv or lock it up in a room or a place far from the children's reach? 

It is agreeable that the psychology of an adult and a child isn't the same. As an adult you are expected to be moral, know when to stop, know what to do and when to do it. So it is safe to say that the destructive influence of home media on you as an adult isn't a thing compared to the influence on a child. 

According to Thomas Hobbes; "Man is usually a victim of his appetite, whatever pleases his senses, that he calls good".

A child doesn't really care about maintaining a healthy teeth, he or she keeps taking sweets and chocolate. Children don't know what " too much" is as far as it's pleasurable. 

They can spend hours on television watching cartoons, animations and movies and less or none on academic or self development tv programs. Then take their homework to school the next day, to be done minutes before submission. 

These acts comes with aftermath so as a parent, aspiring parent, tutor, speaker, researcher, writer, guardian or any other responsibility you have, this is a useful article. 

WHAT IS HOME MEDIA? 

Home media is the wide range of means adopted in our homes for entertainment, information, learning etc. These means include but not limited to television, personal computers, and mobile phones. 

I recall back then when I was about 11-14 years old, I so much dislike watching new. I prefer watching something worth discussing with my friends. Cartoons and animations where very interesting and pleasurable that I spend a lot of time on them thereby giving more important things less attention. 

I mean, how can I tell my friends that primary election is to be conducted or that a political leader lost his or her father. 

But i was sent to a boarding school where I had no access to tv. All I had was books and friends with similar interest (which is to study, learn, pass our exams and leave the school). 

HOW DOES HOME MEDIA AFFECT CHILDREN? 

Children learn from watching television, their potential can be strengthened but what happens when your child is addicted to television? 

1: WEAKENS INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP;  When your child spend more time watching television, he or she spends less time with the family and their peers. He or she will as well spend less time on useful discussion with colleagues, engaging in activities like soccer, tennis street racing etc. These activities keeps the mind and body healthy. 

2: WEAKENS CREATIVITY; Children don't make and fly kites anymore, they don't construct cars with mud, woods, metals or cartons. They don't mould houses and animals with mud and/sand, they don't construct truck for fetching firewood, they don't make planes or boats with papers and many other things. This is a stage when their cognitive abilities and IQ are curious for creativity but sadly they are deprived of reality and their innate potential is diminished. 

They try to adopt what they see on TV and imitate their favourite tv personality, celebrity or models. 

3: MENTAL LAZINESS; Television is passive and involves less effort so children loose more active ways of amusing themselves. They can't produce new ideas but projects already made ideas. They don't enjoy reading novels and solving puzzles anymore. 

4: CONSUMPTION RATE;  What ever gives one pleasure, he or she wants more. They more a child watch, the more he/she craves to watch and every other thing becomes disturbing and worthless of his or her time. 

5: VIOLENCE AMONG SIBLINGS; Imagine when your kids have different favourite programs and these programs are shown the say day and time. Who gets the remote? 🤷🏿‍♂️

                  

                              

So what should you do to ensure coordination, positivity and constructive use of the media at home?How can you as a parent effect proper consumption of television by your kids? 

Well, let's take a look at how this can be done. 😊

1: WATCH WITH THE KIDS; 

As a parent, you need to devote some time to watch the television with your kids. This doesn't mean you should allow anything they want to watch because you are present. Your presence as a parent is to direct their understanding. Example, some of our movies have the evil ones punished at last and those who deviate from decency and positivity often end up in agony. 

There's a lot to learn from many programs on TV but often these are neglected. 

But I understand that at times you might not be available for this task, I can't deny the fact that a parent won't always be available. Your time might be consumed by work and in this case what should you do? 

Should you put away your television? 

2: ALTERNATIVES AND SELECTIVITY;

DO NOT PUT AWAY YOUR TV! 

The implication of putting your tv away is that your child finds another means to obtain same pleasure. He or she keeps sneaking out to visit a friends home. He or she branch to a friends house immediately after school or even during lesson periods so this isn't a good idea. 

If you keep punishing your child without providing better alternatives you are not really making progress. 

I mean if not the television what else should the child engage in? There are many interesting books for kids and even games that develop intelligence and thinking. Story books, novels, colorful books, comic book, current affairs etc. These improve reading skills, memory and understanding. Ensure they find interest in these things because truly, it isn't easy but they have remarkable impact on a child. 

By selectivity I mean "what to watch and what shouldn't be watched". 

The entertainment industry especially film industry have guides in consumption of movie. Some movies are not for people younger than 18 years, 16 years and so on. Some are for general view too. But often, this is neglected. 

Advice your kids on what to watch and what they shouldn't watch. Advice and not enforce. I believe advice comes with proper explanation with details. So advice them. 

3: WATCH WHAT'S HELPFUL; 

Back then, I enjoyed watching national geographic wild channel. I enjoyed learning about animals, understanding biology, and basic sciences better through visual means, appreciating habitat and food chain, understanding the dangers of water pollution to aquatic animals and living things at large, learning that working alone is ok just like the tiger but team work is great just like the lion, and to exhibit a particular feature, you must be built for that feature just like the cheetah and speed etc. These were really helpful. 

When you allow your kids to spend time watching celebrities and the lifestyle they flaunt, the indecency they show, diamond, big houses, golds and flashy cars with their kids getting absolutely everything they want, what impact do you think it has on your child? 

As far as you have no problem with it, they'll imitate their favorite character or celebrity. They might even start by answering their names, dressing like them and of course imitate their attitude and characters. Are these really helpful to a child? How does this impact positivity? 

Remember that one doesn't give what he or she doesn't have. 

Documentary and historical events, sports, religious and academic programs to name a few are good choices. Even the movies, cartoons and animations can have good lessons to be learnt. 

CONCLUSION

               We have seen the impact of home media on a child and some ways to achieve proper use of home media by kids. There can as well be a period for television, a period for prayer, a period for study and other things. This ensure coordination and proper consumption. Greater use of the screen can as well cause overweight and obesity. 

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