TV Cartoons - Is it an Addiction or an Interest?

हिंदी में एक कहावत है सांप  भी मर जाये और लाठी भी नहीं टूटे, मतलब की ऐसा हम कुछ करें की हमारी समस्या भी चली जाये और हमारा नुक्सान भी ना हो , वैस ऐसा होना तोडा मुश्किल तो लगता है , कुछ न कुछ तो बदले में नुक्सान हो जाता है , अभी मै यह यह जिक्र कर रहा हूँ थोड़े दिन पहले हुए वाकये का। 

one day we were in discussion and suddenly my friend shared that his tween kids got addicted to ipad and tv , if he  tries to stop them, the children are getting rebellious,He was showing concern, How to manage them? how to make  them learn to keep those destructive gadgets away? and there is another strong argument comes from his wife  that if we don't load them with latest powerful electronics , how would they progress?.

I am sure these days most of the parents might be struggling with these  two questions. Let us evaluate, and  ask questions, to find solution. 

 

Is TV really that bad for kids? Can it possibly be beneficial to them? What types of programs should a child watch? Should we allow my son/daughter to watch television alone in their room? These are some of the questions psychologist  are bombarded with by parents who are worried about the current situation or future condition of their child. There are many theories and opinions regarding kids and TV time, and the younger they are, the more worrisome it is.

 common scene @ sweet home

 First of all understand this - Is it an Addiction or an Interest?

When it comes to tv, there are no easy answers. With everything else in childhood, no two children are alike and TV may be more of an issue for some children than for others. As a parent, you first have to observe at your child’s TV watching habits and how it affects them individually. 

1) Is your child gives Priority watching tv instead of other things that  he needs to  do? 

2) Is he/she spending more time watching TV than anything else? 

 3) Has your child suddenly become introverted and prefers to spend more time with the TV than other people?

4) Does he/she have a long list of shows that they simply can’t miss?

 5) Does they get easily upset or angry when been disturbed while watching TV or told to turn it off?

If yes than, All of these things are signs that TV has become an addiction rather than a source of entertainment. This is extremely unhealthy and can lead to major issues as time goes by. It’s time for some major changes and they need to happen now.

On the other hand, if your child is very specific and selective about what he/she watches, if your child is comfortable missing that program once or twice or ready to compromise it for an alternating social or academic activity or if he is conscious while watching it and absorbing everything actively then your child’s TV watching is a healthy pastime. Obviously there is a line between television as a pastime and television as an addiction. Here are some ways to make sure that that line does not become blurred and that your child understands that TV is a privilege.

Probable Solutions -

 1) Bring a conversation with them and Explain. उनसे बात करें और समझाएं
In order to communicate anything to your child, you have to talk to them. Converse them and help them to understand why it’s not okay to watch too much TV and that there are lots of other things he/she can be doing. You may want to outline a schedule during your talk and set times that are appropriate for your child to watch TV. Many families have found that technology has made scheduling easier since you can record your child’s favorite shows and allow him to watch them at intervals throughout the week rather than all in one night.
 

2) Self Discipline is key - To train this begin with REDUCTION 
अनुशासित करें तुरंत  
Turn the TV off! How often is your TV-ON even though nobody is watching it? Many people have gotten so used to the TV that they now need it to serve as the background noise to daily life.(I have seen this in many homes, not just children grown up also addicted to tv) A schedule is a great way to reduce the amount of TV watching that goes on, and it allows the poor box to be turned off every once in a while.
Important: - Don’t allow your kids to get in the habit of coming home from school and turning on the television; leave it off until everything else is taken care of.
 
3) Provide Fun Alternatives - अन्य मार्ग खौझे
To an extent parents are often responsible for these addiction, as they dont give alternative solutions, due lack of time or some other reason we never think on alternatives, Rather than constantly yelling at your kids to turn off the TV, provide them with alternatives so that they don’t want to watch TV. 
Bringing in new games, books, and other activities will give them something better to do with their time while at home. For younger kids, simple sticker books and coloring books will keep them entertained for hours. Even something as simple as this can engage their creativity and stimulates them much more than staring at a TV screen. Arts and crafts activities encourage your child to use their imagination, as well as learning toys, puppet theaters; anything that gets your child thinking rather than just watching.







 
4) Get Out - Spend quality time. पर्याप्त समय बिताएं
Children are fun loving and creative, they always on move, when the Kids don’t move around nearly as much as they should, sitting at one place and watch cartoon network for hours, is not a healthy sign. If the weather permits, send them outside to play. Enroll your kids in team sports like basket ball and Foot ball to not only get them moving, but also to teach them how to be a part of a team. Take time to do family outings as well. Even trips to the library, which are fun and free, teach your children the value and importance of reading. Museums, planetariums, live theater; the options are endless. Any of these not only get your child away from the TV, but also offers learning and cultural experiences.

5) Rewards - Appreciation. शभाषी और उपहार दें
If your child is really struggling with a TV addiction, it’s time to help them break the habit. Providing rewards along with other alternatives is a great way to help them get off of the sofa. The rewards you offer should have nothing to do with TV, but should be focused on other things that your child can do. Trips to the book store, going out for ice cream, or money for a new toy are all great rewards that won’t have your child right back in front of the TV. If you are banning television all together, you could use an outing to the movie theater as a reward. This way they are getting to see a movie but still staying away from the television.

6) Lead by Example - Most of us do this mistake हम पहले अनुसरण करें

Telling your child that TV is bad for them while sitting on the sofa clicking the remote through your own favorite shows will have very little (if any) effect. If you want your child to get away from the TV, then you’ve got to do the same. If you are going to schedule your child’s TV time, consider scheduling your own as well so that your child truly realizes the importance.especially stay home moms do this mistake. Get up and out of the house along with your child and spend time reading and doing other activities. Show your child through your example that there are many better ways to spend your time than watching TV.

7) Take TVs out of bedrooms. बुद्धू डब्बे को शयन कक्ष से बहार रखें 

Just because a TV is affordable and keeps the kids out of your hair does not mean that having TVs in bedrooms is acceptable. Bedrooms are for peace, rest and quiet play. TVs do not instill rest and peace, especially not kids' programs, which are deliberately aimed at keeping kids interested through energizing them. Keep the TV (or TVs) in common areas only: somewhere that is easy for you to monitor. If you have a larger family, you may need to consider an additional TV to avoid too many sharing clashes but in the main, sharing and compromise are two important skills to be teaching your kids.

8) Do not keep a TV/DVD/VCR in your Automobile. गाड़ी में टीवी नहीं लगाए  
It's amazing how many parents rely on a DVD or VCR in their vehicle to keep the kids "quiet". Road trips or car errands are a great time for kids to draw, read books, play with Barbies or Transformers, talk with parents, listen to music, or simply watch the surroundings out the window. Kids don't need to be entertained all the time. Also, no one needs to waste the extra money.

 Most important is to invoke them into a conversation, Explain to them that the level of TV viewing has reached a point of no return and that other activities in life are being neglected. Then tell them that the TV time is going to be regulated from now on. There will be no whining, there will be no arguing, and there will be no typical clever rationalizations that kids are famous for. Stick to your decision - TV time is being axed!

कोई भी बच्चा ख़राब नहीं होता , हमारी नकबिलियत ही उसको गलत रस्ते पे जाने के लिए प्रेरित करता है , वैसे हर मर्ज़ की दवा है प्यार , अपने बच्चे से भरपूर प्यार करें , और देखिए थोड़े दिनों में ही वह वह किसे नार्मल सा आचरण करें लगेगा।

Useful links :

 1) Student-addiction-to-technology-similar-to-drug-cravings-study-finds

2) sensory-deprivation-the-impact-on-human-development.

3 ) the-effect-technology-relationships

4) Behavioral_addiction

5 ) internet-and-computer-addiction.