Children and Television: Making a Positive Connection

When it comes to children and television, TV often gets a bad reputation. After all, statistics show that children spend an average of four hours in front of the television each day. What’s more, the programmes that a lot of children watch on television are simply for entertainment purposes and present no educational or enriching qualities.

While entertainment is not a bad thing, it certainly can be negative under certain circumstances - for example, if inappropriate information or influence is involved, or if TV takes away from activities like schoolwork, sports, or family interaction. With a significant number of hours in front of the TV, alongside shows of no solid enrichment value then television can affect children negatively.

However, that certainly doesn’t have to be the case. There are, after all, many educational TV shows on the air, many of which children relate to and enjoy watching. Often, it’s simply a matter of guiding children towards these shows, and taking a few steps to ensure the actual time spent watching television isn’t excessive. With a little bit of guidance and precaution, television can be a very enriching for children.

The first step towards making television a positive influence in your child’s life is to select developmentally appropriate programmes. This can entail anything from history and science shows, to programmes focusing on current events. A lot of game shows are also very educational for children, as they centre on trivia - which children often love and learn a lot from. Such shows are widely accessible through satellite television services, such as Sky HD.

However, parents can make the process of watching these shows even more enriching by helping their children make connections during the programmes, or discussing what they are seeing and understanding from the shows. For instance, you can ask your child to compare what they’re watching to current or historical events, or to make connections to places or people of interest. If there is violence in a programme, you can talk about the realistic consequences of violence, while advertisements can prompt a discussion on the influence of adverts on buying.

Another important step in making TV enriching in your child’s life is to place limits on the amount of television they view. What’s more, ensure that the television is never on during meal times or homework, so your child does not associate them with one another. And finally, if you don’t feel a show is appropriate for your child, take the initiative to turn it off.

Taking just a few steps such as these can help ensure television does not turn into a negative or destructive element in your child’s life. Instead, your child can gain a lot from many enriching programmes on the air, ultimately helping aid their development.