Kids and TV need not necessarily be a bad mix, but as you may have probably gleaned from the first part of this article, sometimes, a little or no TV at all may actually do our kids more good.
Teachers on TV-watching
Genevieve Aspillaga, M.A., or Teacher Gen, is a preschool teacher and the school administrator of Progressive Little Saints Learning Center. In her opinion, TV shows can be considered “amoral, like money,” because “it can be good or bad, depending on how you use it. It can be used as an educational tool for children that will definitely be to their benefit. Television can be informative with a lot of guidance and processing from an adult.”
“However, its improper use can definitely be detrimental to a child's development and health. This can happen if the tube takes the place of an adult as a teacher / facilitator . Adults should be educated on how to make the television an appropriate `helper,’" says Teacher Gen.
She explains further: “Everything that a child experiences, especially during the formative years, makes an impression. It is part and parcel of the environmental influence (as opposed to what they have inherited). The extent of influence may depend upon the amount of exposure time to the concepts of the TV show and the parental or adult involvement in processing what is being watched.”
On the effects of TV-watching on a child’s personality and/or development, Teacher Gen says that children can actually “develop critical thinking skills when adults guide them through the TV-watching experience.”
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Sometimes, though, the effects can be more easily observed. “One example I can share does not necessarily show a long-term effect on a child's personality, but rather, an immediate influence on a child. I have noticed children from Filipino households speak with a thick accent simply because they watch Western shows all the time,” she shares. Whether this is a good or bad thing is, however, relative.
Teacher Gen reminds parents though that “experts recommend a maximum of one hour of television viewing per day. As an educator, shows that educate (like those on the Animal Planet and National Geographic channels, and Filipino culture shows) are highly recommended. For entertainment, anything that has noteworthy values is also recommended. The important thing is that exposure is always moderated by parental guidance.”
For educator Myra Mabugat-Menguito of the CFC Educational Foundation, Inc., who is also mom to Paola Maria, 13, Joaquin, 8, and Tanya Maria, 4, TV shows for kids can prove to be both beneficial and detrimental to their development and health. She explains further:
They are beneficial:
• “as long as the parents/guardians choose/monitor the programs watched;”
• “if the parents/guardians know which shows are age-appropriate and which shows contain values that will help the child grow and develop as a person who is an asset and not a liability to society (therefore, media literacy is important);”
• “if the shows educate and entertain according to the values upheld by the family. But then again, values are subjective. Therefore, parent education in this respect is also needed.”
On the other side of the coin, TV-watching can be detrimental for children:
• “if these are not age-appropriate;”
• “if it causes confusion (for example, the show has characters who cross-dress. An example of this is the ABS-CBN show `Going Bulilit’);”
• “if it merely entertains and does not educate/inform;”
• “if the show contains subliminal messages on counter-values.”
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Myra goes on to cite a lecture on media by Dr. Esther Esteban of the University of Asia and the Pacific, which describes the following as “media-related virtues”:
• self-control/temperance
• responsibility
• honesty
• respect
• thoughtfulness
• courage
• patience
• kindness
• fairness
Myra also says that “each show’s plot, characters, dialogues, how the characters deal with each other and with the situation/circumstance all have an effect on the development and the character formation of the viewer. The interplay of all these things manifest or express values and counter-values. This is also compounded by the length of time a child spends in front of the tube.”
Dr. Esteban goes on to say that "violent interactive media has stronger effects because “as the viewer identifies with the aggressor, this increases imitation of the aggressive behavior.” Also, “repetition increases learning of violence and aggression.”
In the case of Myra’s own family, she says she “cannot count the hours her kids watch TV, because it all depends on the `extra time’ they have, meaning, TV-viewing is the last option in the family. Before they watch TV, we let them do other more productive things to spend time, such as reading, playing, doing some activity sheets, drawing, story-telling, etc.”
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Myra also shares their TV-viewing rules at home:
• No TV on school days.
• TV viewing is restricted to English programs that are age-appropriate. For example, 4-yr old Tanya only watches shows on Disney Playtime; 8-year old Joaquin and 13-year old Paola only watch shows on Disney Channel. They also watch HBO shows that are rated GP. Nonetheless, we still monitor these programs because, as I said, they may contain subliminal messages that may run contrary to our values as a family. Therefore, it must be clear for every parent what their family values are, and make these known to the children as well. These serve as guideposts not only in media use, but also with how the children deal with fellow children, with adults, and in the different situations they are in.
• Tagalog shows are allowed only when Mom and/or Dad are around.
• We are also quick to “process” the commercials shown within and in between programs.
TV time in the Menguito home is therefore made quality family time as well. “We make limited TV time maximum quality when we watch all together as a family. That is why we only have TV sets in the living room and in the masters’ bedroom – areas where the family converge. The kids are so used to this set-up that when one feels like watching another program, they ask permission from the other family members if they can `detach’ from the family for a while.”
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For the discerning parents out there, Mommy Myra shares more important lessons she gained from the media lecture by Dr. Esteban, specifically on how we can guide our children further:
• Observe children's behavior. Assess the influence of exposure to media violence.
• Discuss the consequence of their choices.
• Co-view, restrict, or provide alternative programs or activities.
• Set an example. Be peaceful; have non-violent behavior and solutions at home and in school.
• Discuss with the children the programs and images they view.
• Guide the children to seek and uphold non-violent means and solutions to problems
What the Doctors Say
Dr. Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician affiliated with The Medical City and the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, also shares her professional opinion with us. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV viewing before the age of 2 years, and 1-2 hours of screen time a day after that age,” she says. “This is with the premise that parents have screened the shows they allow their children to watch and have found out that these are good quality shows.”
“The reason for this recommendation is that there are studies saying that it (TV-watching) shortens the attention span of children and deprives them of precious socialization opportunities,” she explains further. “I also think it deprives them of movement, play and exercise opportunities which are essential for young children (and even adults). “
As a mother herself, Dr. Tanchanco believes that the rule for TV-watching, especially for older children, should be "everything in moderation." “I realized that it is also important that my kids have some TV time for them to relate to the conversations of their friends and classmates. It can also be a good source of information if properly supervised,” she says.
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However, Dr. Tanchanco advises parents to be cautious about what their kids are exposed to on TV. “Children learn through imitation, and young children will not sift through information they get from any media and decide whether what they see is worthy of being copied or not. Thus, it is very important that parents or caregivers help children select the shows they watch.”
She gives an example thus: “I have some patients who have autism who did not speak for a long time. When they did end up talking, some of them did not know how to talk in Filipino, and even have an English accent, even if they come from a Filipino-speaking household. On further investigation, these children usually have prolonged TV-viewing (mostly English shows), and that was the language they copied.” This has resulted in them having a hard time playing with, and being accepted by, their peers, who all speak Filipino.
Dr. Ma. Theresa “Marie” Arranz-Lim, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician who holds clinic at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center and The Medical City, says that “television is both beneficial and detrimental, depending on the age of the child and the program being viewed.”
Dr. Lim also cites the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as the Philippine Pediatric Society, in their policy statement that Infants (ages 0-2 years) should “have ZERO television exposure. Thereafter, the recommendation is between 30 minutes to 2 hours per day ONLY.”
Dr. Lim goes on to say, “Recent studies by Dr. Patricia Kuhl of the University of Washington have shown that in order to learn a language, social interaction is necessary. Just listening/watching a video teaching kids how to label or read is not sufficient.”
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Related to this, a local study by a resident doctor in one of the hospitals Dr. Lim worked with showed that preschool children who spend more than four hours of television viewing a day, regardless of content, were more likely to develop speech delays.
“Another study showed that as the number of hours of television viewing increases in a household, the less likely the adult talks to a child, and thus, this very important interaction becomes absent,” Dr. Lim expounds.
She also says, “That is not to say that television is completely detrimental, as it has its place in whetting a child’s appetite for learning, especially shows like Discovery Channel, National Geographic or Animal Planet, or even Knowledge and History channel. But really, how many households have access to this?”
From a health perspective, Dr. Lim says that there is ironically “an upsurge of childhood obesity, due to the sedentary lifestyle that TV and other forms of electronic media/toys are promoting.”
The recurrent bombardment of commercials, whether on local channels or cable, also promotes children to be more fast-food dependent. “A great number of my patients’ parents and care-givers say their ward will not eat anything but fast food fare, which we know is laden with trans-fat and antibiotic-laden poultry or meat,” she shares.
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Aside from this, there is also the issue of violence or inappropriate displays of romance on TV. TV-watching, especially at night, also triggers the arousal level of children when they should actually be winding down.
“So it becomes a struggle to put them to bed and sleep early. This is also detrimental for their sleep-wake cycles, and causes needless sleepiness during the daytime (not to mention grouchiness). The growth hormone is normally secreted at the deepest level of sleep and if this is inadequate or short-lived, it may not be secreted by the body adequately,” Dr. Lim explains.
TV-viewing also has a definite impact on the demeanor of a child. “The language most kids sport now is basically from media or from peers highly exposed to inappropriate media. Many a child has been sanctioned for the bad words they utter and repeat uttering because it gets adults’ attention, even if they don’t know what it means,” Dr. Lim says.
She also says that the rate at which TV characters (cartoon or live) talk is “astoundingly fast” and for a person to keep up, one must be “totally focused”. No wonder there seem to be more cases of poor attention span when it comes to their parents, the classroom, etc.”
Dr. Lim also cites research done by psychologist Albert Bandura, who did a study on the effect of children watching a Bobo doll being hit on their later behavior. Results showed that “children may not necessarily imitate the behaviour immediately, but on a later occasion they may imitate such behavior.” Thus, one can conclude that seeing violence on TV is not as innocent as it seems, even if a child doesn’t display violence immediately.
As mother to seven-year old Gianna Marie, Dr. Lim has her own TV-watching rules. “My daughter is allowed a maximum of one hour TV time a day, and they are mostly cartoons, cooking and documentary shows (that her dad and I watch too),” she shares. “Some days, we suggest other activities for her to do so she doesn’t get to watch TV. On school days, she is not allowed to watch TV because the only time she’s free is late afternoon to early evening.”
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Whenever she can, Dr. Lim watches TV along with Gianna. “I interact with her, comment about what she watches, and ask her about it at a later time to see what she retained,” she shares.
“Gianna usually watches shows on Disney or Disney Junior, rarely from Nickelodeon. Some of these are: Angelina Ballerina, Word World, Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, Ni Hao Kai-lan and Upin and Ipin,” Dr. Lim says. “We also like to watch cooking shows like Junior Master Chef, Iron Chef America and How It’s Made, and How Do They Do It on Discovery Channel.”
She adds: “We like Glee and Kitchen Musical, too, but it’s a little too adult, so her dad and I watch the episodes first to see if they’re OK, then let Gianna view the reruns, if there are any. That’s because she loves to sing and dance. She loves Sponge Bob, but I hate it, so I try to change the channel whenever its on,” Dr. Lim concludes.
Ultimately, TV-watching, like most things in our lives, has its good and bad sides. Parents would do well, though, to heed the advice given by people who have obviously done their research, and discern properly about the role TV-watching plays, or will play, in their family life.
However, at the end of the day, we must remember that to children, especially the little ones, love is spelled T-I-M-E. The time we spend with our kids will, more often than not, determine their health, in most aspects, in the future.
Photo by {N}Duran from flickr creative commons
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