Television in the beginning did not look that big of a problem which it has become now. The increasing number of channels has made it hard for people to stay away from the stupid box.
Use of the latest technology in production of television series have formed cult following for many TV series like Games of Thrones and Walking Dead. Even for the children from age of 2 to 13, the number of cartoons on television has increased a lot in past few decades.
How television viewing is affecting the children?
Linda Pagani along with her team members conducted a study on children from the age of 2 to 13 at University of Montreal’s School of Psycho-education. The main aim of the study was to determine the effects of television on the social life of the children.
She mentioned in the results that the children till the age of 13 are in the process of developing their social behavior.
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It is still unclear how much excessive television viewing can affect these children. Still most of the children who are exposed to television for a greater number of hours often are at a risk of victimization, social isolation, adopting violent and antisocial behavior toward other students.
She also said that the adolescence age is the time when the child starts establishing strong peer among others and learn how to get along with friends and family. However, excessive television viewing can affect his desires to be social and he or she may become confined.
This results in disturbance in normal life of the child and the proper mental and physical growth is not possible.
How the study was conducted?
There were around 2000 children that took part in the study. The parents of these children filled the questionnaire about their television viewing habits from the age of 2 and half.
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The same children filled another questionnaire that was related to their relational difficulties associated with victimization, social isolation, intentional and planned aggression by peers, and antisocial behavior.
What was the conclusion of the study?
The results of the study were worrying as most of the children who spent greater number of hours in front of the television since the age of 2 showed one or the other anti-social behavioral signatures.
Pagani also added to her conclusion that the young age includes less walking hours that means the children spend more time in front of the television rather than spending time in creative games.
Social impairment in children is becoming an increasing concern among public health sector and parents have to look out for the wellbeing of their children.
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