Television must have something going for it or else it would not have sustained for so long. Many of us parents would not hear of it for their children. ‘Off” is the only button on the remote control that gets used by many parents when they see their young child in front of the jukebox. However, selecting channels wisely instead of switching off the machine is the right solution says an new study according to education news.
The study aimed at finding how right channels can have a positive impact on children came up with heartening results. One group of parents was asked to stick to positive child-themed channels like Sesame Street while other group was not provided with any specific instructions. Both parent groups were asked to provide nutritional meals to their children. While healthy eating helped children of both groups, those children who viewed only the right channels showed more improvement. The change found wasn’t big but certainly perceptible.
Benefits for children from low-income groups
Over a short term, parents who hailed from low-income groups found maximum benefits for their children. This is especially relieving as these children are more vulnerable to become both culprits and victims. A point worth noting- Though the parents were not given any clue about the intention of the study, they would have got some hint nonetheless. This might have biased them to some extent thus skewing the results marginally.
Shutting off TV is not the solution
I have long believed that shutting off the television to reduce the bad influence of TV is a repressive technique. Lack of television can inhibit growth in many ways. Ideally, parents must take up the role of watchdogs. They have 2 main duties: The first is to ensure that their children do not watch violent or sexually explicit content. The second is to encourage positive channels like Dora the Explorer and Mister Rogers.
Don’t you feel positive channels can help in the overall development of your child?
