Kids Spend 35 Hours/ Week Watching TV: ASSOCHAM SurveySunday, November 21, 2010

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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Children between the ages of 6-17 viewing television more than 35 hours a week which could severely generate a greater risk of obesity, aggressive and violent behavior amongst them, reveals the ASSOCHAM survey conducted under its Social Development Foundation (SDF).

The following statistics are sad and shocking that so many children today sit glued in front of the TV, being brainwashed by all sorts of demonic influences. According to the associated chamber of commerce and industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the average children watches more than 5 hours of TV each day (or 35 hours/week),

In a survey more than 2,000 teenagers and 3,000 parents’ were conducted, about 90% of parents say TV programs are getting worse every year because of derogative language and adult themes in shows that air from 7 to 10 p.m

On the other hand, 54% (ages 12 to 18) of kids say they watch something different when they're alone than with their parents. 76% choose reality show which airs at prime time.

According to a study, an adult who watches three hours of TV a day is far more likely to be obese than an adult who watches less than one hour.

Major cities in which respondents were interviewed by ASSOCHAM-SDF include Delhi, Mumbai, GOA, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Patna, Pune, Chandigarh and Dehradun and interestingly it was observed that majority (52%) of kids have a TV in their bedroom and 56% of Indian homes have three or more TV sets which indicates the need of the family.

A majority of parents say they are "very" concerned about the amount of vulgar shows (71%) and violence (58%) their children are exposed to on TV. Nearly two-thirds of parents (63%) say they favor new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence in TV shows during the early evening hours, when children are most likely to be watching.

Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school, reveals the survey. It also highlight that two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day, kids under age 6 watch an average of about 3-4 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs, kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4-6 hours a day in front of a TV screen. Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight, indicates the survey.

76% parents say that some shows encourage kids (ages 4-8) to disrespect parents and who would like to limit their children's TV watching.

In a survey, 56% percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their friends, preferred television. Children spend more time watching television than in any other activity except sleep.

Excessive television viewing among children has been linked to a greater risk of obesity and violent behavior. The survey also reveals that the long-term effects of television on academic achievement have been less clear, says Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM.

Mr. Rawat also said that the government proactive role to come down heavily on content of T.V channels which is highly aggressive, violating and harmful for impressionable mind.

The regulatory frame work for the content for both television as well as the advertisement must be on lines of film censorship board and also to put a check on surrogate advertisement, emphasized Mr. Rawat.

Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence, indicates the survey. It also highlight that children younger than 8 "cannot uniformly discriminate between real life and fantasy/entertainment, they quickly learn that violence is an acceptable solution to resolving even complex problems, particularly if the aggressor is the hero. Television reaches children at a younger age and for more time than any other socializing institution except the family.

Children who watch violent shows are more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and are less willing to wait for things that children who watched nonviolent programs, highlight the survey.

86% of parents also feel that the government should step in to regulate sexually explicit television and magazine images aimed at children.

Young kids are particularly frightened by scary and violent images. Behavior problems, nightmares and difficulty sleeping may be a consequence of exposure to media violence, pointed out survey.

This has been one of the major contributing factors in creating violent society especially for growing kids and irresponsible behavior of parents in not providing quality time to their kids, said Mr. Rawat.

While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They're also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods, says the majority of parents.

78% of parents also said that under the age of 9 years, most kids don't understand that commercials are for selling a product especially if their favorite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.

The early teen years are considered a crucial time for the development of healthy self esteem. Teens are usually not supervised when watching television, parents have to make a concerted effort to find out what they are watching, says Mr. Rawat.

The impact of TV on children depends on many factors: how much they watch, their age and personality, whether they watch alone or with adults, and whether their parents talk with them about what they see on TV, says the Secretary General.

Some of the most violent TV shows are children's cartoons, in which violence is portrayed as humorous—and realistic consequences of violence are seldom shown, reveals the survey. Nearly 7 in 10 parents said that they are “very concerned” about the amount of sexually explicit content their kids watch on TV.

To monitor the content of TV programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your kids don't spend too much time watching TV by

* Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
o Keep TVs out of bedrooms.
o Turn the TV off during meals.
o Don't allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
o Treat TV as a privilege to be earned — not a right.
* Try a weekday ban.

Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week.

* Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing.
* Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together
* Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week.
* Watch TV together.
* Talk to kids about what they see on TV and share your own beliefs and values.

News Source : Kids Spend 35 Hours/ Week Watching TV: ASSOCHAM SurveySunday, November 21, 2010