Children And TV: What And How Much To Watch?

Video: Children And TV: What And How Much To Watch?

Video: Children And TV: What And How Much To Watch?
Video: How much TV do you watch? 2024, May
Children And TV: What And How Much To Watch?
Children And TV: What And How Much To Watch?
Anonim

The bright and dynamic picture on the TV attracts the attention of the child. In two or two and a half years, you can already hear from your child the demanding "I want a cartoon!" - although in most cases the plot, which is not adapted for the age and level of development of a particular baby, remains beyond comprehensible for him.

Why is television so mesmerizing for children?

The virtual image takes the child away from reality for a while. In the cinema, children realize that they are experiencing something external to them, limited in time and space, because going there is always a ritual that involves a certain session, a dark hall, the presence of other spectators. And in front of the TV, the child is faced with a stream of scattered images, remaining in a familiar environment. It is more difficult for him to distance himself from what is happening on the screen - and the bewitching effect is intensified.

What effect do TV shows have on a child?

Until the age of 3-4, children are attracted only by the movement on the screen. It is difficult for them to distinguish between the real and the imaginary until they are 7 years old; from 4 to 7, identification prevails: children compare themselves with their favorite characters and want to be like them. After 7 years, they become able to relate television images and stories to reality. They already have ideas about time and space, and they learn to analyze, reason, defend their point of view. These abilities are formed by the age of 10-11, when the content of what is seen becomes the most important. From about this age, children can choose the programs they will watch, as well as take breaks from watching the programs themselves. In their early teens (12-13 years old), television has time to get fed up with them, and they switch to video games. The content of the images becomes very important, a new stage of identification begins. Identifying themselves with video and TV heroes, children prefer characters that support their egos: boys are strong and courageous, girls are beautiful and seductive. During this period, it is again important for parents to show special attention to the choice and discussion of TV programs.

At what age can children watch TV without adults?

From about 7 years old they can do it on their own, but it is quite acceptable even at the age of 4 to put a child alone to watch a cassette with cartoons. If on the weekend he woke up very early, and his parents still need to sleep, there is nothing wrong with watching a cartoon or a children's TV show, although you should not constantly use the TV instead of a nanny. Parents need to guide the child's choice, helping him to grow up, to know himself and the world around him, and television should not be an exception to this rule.

Provided pause

“Approximately in February of every year, I secretly unscrewed something from the apparatus,” said the writer Simon Soloveichik, “alas, it broke! And there was no time to call the master, and there was no money for repairs, and all sorts of difficulties arose until the children got used to living without a TV and did not come to their senses: they again began to read books, walk in the yard, they had friends again, and the marks got better … Two or three months later, after a deep rest of the family, the TV set was put in order (if I remembered where I had hidden the part and where it should be put), and happiness came - the TV was working!"

Which gear to choose?

Children should only watch high-quality TV shows made by a professional and appropriate for their age. But at the same time, it is much better for a child to watch a good adult film with his parents (of course, if there is no sex and violence in it) than one of the endless stamped animated series (although they are created especially for children). Parents should understand that there are programs that are useful for the development of the child, there are truly harmful ones, and there are neutral ones - useless, but also not harmful. With regard to the latter, you do not need to break spears: they are not worth it to ruin your relationship with the child because of them.

How do I set a "view quota"?

From the very beginning, parents should agree with the child about how much time he will watch TV during the day, week. Concentrate not on the viewing time, but on the content of the programs: watch the TV program together, choose the cassettes. This will help him feel like a participant in the choice, and not a passive spectator. Review the agreements every 2-3 weeks. When discussing the program and viewing time (only on weekends, half an hour every day, or otherwise), the word of the parents should be decisive. As the child grows up and is ready to choose programs for himself, it is important to continue to discuss together what exactly is worth watching.

What can you do to make them comply with the established rules?

It is impossible to constantly stand behind the child's back, especially when the parents are working. A reasonable way out is to accustom them to certain rules as early as possible, while the child is still small, then you will not have to apply "sanctions" later. Always explain to him your position and the reasons why you limit the viewing time.

TV in the nursery: is it dangerous?

Nursery is not a place for a TV. The turned on receiver turns into a familiar background, and the child is less likely to find more useful, developmental activities for himself. Having received a taste for such affordable pleasure, he may not want to make an effort to play, read, think - which is necessary to form his own way of thinking.

He likes stupid programs. What to do?

Parents have the right to prohibit certain programs. But what adults consider to be complete nonsense does not necessarily mean it to a child. Before you prohibit the show, watch it together: this will give the child the opportunity to explain what exactly he likes about it, and to you what you disagree with. Disallowing simply by claiming that the program does not suit you is ineffective. If you argue your position, then the child will learn to explain his own; so you will help him form his own judgment and the ability to defend it.

How to deal with advertising?

Children love to watch ads: they like its rhythm, music, movement. From 3-4 years old, they can easily recognize the melodies of clips and product logos. And only from the age of 7-8 they are able to understand the special tasks and mechanisms of the impact of commercials. It is important that parents explain to their child what advertising is. 7-year-olds and even 5-year-olds are already quite capable of understanding that a thing does not get better from the fact that it was shown on TV, but it costs more, because a lot of money has been spent on advertising and now buyers will pay for it. So advertising will be a good reason to teach the child the first knowledge of economics in a simple and understandable form.

What about dramatic news stories?

TV news bulletin is a program for adults both in form and in content. Ideally, up to 7-8 years old, children are better off not seeing information programs, especially when terrible events occur. But if the child nevertheless saw a report from the scene of tragic events and is worried, try to create a feeling of security in him: sit next to him, hug. When talking about what you saw, explain what was happening on the screen, focus on the efforts being made to save people.

Who is watching and how much

Boys and girls 4-10 years old watch TV on average about 2.5 hours a day; 11-14 years old - 3 hours a day. Over 15 years old - 4 hours a day (this is about an hour more than their peers watched in 1999). From about this age, girls spend on average half an hour more watching TV than boys.

How to deal with love scenes, erotica and sex?

Erotic films require emotional and sexual maturity; ideally, children under 16 should not watch them. If, when watching a movie intended for all categories of viewers, the child begins to ask questions or is embarrassed about some kind of love scene, this is a good reason to talk to him about sexuality.

Does television not hinder their cultural development?

Perhaps the main fault of the TV is that it takes children away from games, which are of great developmental value. Children need to express their imaginary ideas in action, and television invites them to passively perceive others.

So it hurts after all? "When the images offered to the child do not prevent him from performing his" child's work ", there is nothing wrong with them," said the English psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott. What is more important is not what the child sees on the screen, but what he then does with what he sees. The task of the parents is to help him use the information he receives to his advantage. And, perhaps, explain that television, like any inventions of our culture, has its downside …

Recommended: