EXPOSED TO RISK: Children who spend hours watching television are vulnerable to several health problems, say experts.
CHENNAI: Parents who have been cribbing about their kids spending too much time watching television, playing video games, or working on the computer now can add more grist to their mill.
A recent report, by the U.S.-based Kaiser Family Foundation, claimed that 8 to 18-year-olds in America devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content.
The report, third in a series, went on to state that the “amount of time spent with media increased by an hour and seventeen minutes a day over the past five years.” They also observed a rise in the number of hours spent on multitasking. While not conclusively proving the cause-and-effect relationship between heavy media use and falling grades, the study did report that a larger percentage of heavy users (47) had lower grades, compared to light users of media (23 per cent).
Anthony Aldave, director, Cornea Service, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, U.S., who is currently in Chennai, says while ophthalmologists are not too concerned about long-term effects of prolonged computer/TV usage on children’s vision, as parents, they are worried about impeded social interaction, decreasing abilities to interact with others and adapt to different social circumstances.
C. Kumarababu, retired Professor of Psychiatry, Stanley Medical College, says, “in India, comparatively the availability of multimedia devices is low, especially, computers and gaming devices. Of course, kids have a lot of TV watching even here.”
He indicated that it is necessary to conduct a scientific study to establish the relationship this has with specific medical problems. However, we know that it does lead to decline of social skills, inability to form relationships and isolation, he said.
Agreeing with Dr. Kumarababu about the availability of devices for children in the country, Sarada Suresh, director, Institute of Child Health, confirmed that children have begun to watch TV for time periods more than before even in low-income households. Informal studies have shown that more girls watch television non-stop even in low-income households.
“These days most houses have a TV set. Even if they don’t, the kids go to the neighbours’ to watch television and lose out on their playtime.” This has led to increasing levels of obesity among children, not noticed until a few years ago. There is also a chance that muscle development can be abnormal because of not getting enough exercise.
Amar Agarwal of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital brings in another angle. TV watching itself should indicate to parents if the children have vision problems; for instance, sitting close to the television could mean the child has refractive errors. Watching a computer screen continuously or squinting at videogames on a monitor could reduce the blink reflexes of the child and lead to dry eyes. This could lead to headaches, irritation, poor social skills and even bad report cards, he adds. His advice to parents is to keep some light on while watching TV because watching the screen in complete darkness is no good for the eyes. “TV watching and video games too are alright if they do not become addictive, as long as the balance is not tipped,” he adds.
Dr. Kumarababu says that the child has to be taught to choose between what is delightful to do and what it must do. “Have To’ and ‘Want To’ must be balanced. The parents have a role in helping these choices.” For instance, it is better for the parent not to watch TV when the child has to study, spend more time with the child and ensure that child interacts with more than machines. “Children, after all, learn best by watching you, not listening to you.”
-The Hindu