Harmful effects of TV on children

 

  Abid hussain( Punial, Singal)

Email: abidaku@hotmail.com

Discoveries and invention of devices are always welcome till we human, find a way to abuse its benefits and be adversely affected by it. This was the case when Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x- ray and within five years, the British Army was using a mobile x-ray unit to locate bullets in wounded soldiers in Sudan. Television is one of the modern inventions that were invented with constructive thoughts in mind that men would use it for beneficial purposes. But, nowadays children spend a lot of time on viewing television without realizing its negative effects on their life. As a health care professional I am writing this essay to create awareness among parents so as to minimize the negative outcome of excessive television viewing. On the basis of various studies, it has been found that watching excessive television has many adverse effects on physiological and psychological health of children. It also contributes to poor educational achievement.

One of the physiological effects of excessive television viewing is eye strain. There are some specifications for watching television like television should be 5 meters away from the eye, and the room should be adequately lit. However, these do not prevent children’s eyes from getting tired if they keep watching it for a long time. Another effect is obesity, which is mostly observed in children who adopt unhealthy eating habits by watching television. They also do not give time for exercise because they sit in front of television all the time, which results in gaining weight. The third effect is sleep deprivation; children who watch too much television tend to develop irregular sleeping habits .The insufficient sleep leads to disruption in their day to day functioning. Thus, the overwhelming effects of watching excessive television threaten the children’s physical health.

Apart from the physiological affects, television also causes psychological effects. One of the psychological effects is exposure to violence. After viewing many violent scenes on television, children start to show aggressive behavior and violent actions considering them normal, and they also lose their sensitivity to their environment. Another negative effect is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), which is characterized by inattentiveness, lack of impulse control, and hyperactivity. Studies have shown link between excessive television watching and ADHD. Hence the psychological impacts of television create many threats for children’s future development.

The third crucial impact of excessive television on children is poor educational performance at school. Watching too much television can negatively affect early brain development in children. This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others is most important. As a result of poor brain development and attention problems, children fail to excel in their education. In addition, owing to viewing too much television, children cannot devote adequate time to their studies and home work assignments. This consequently leads to school failure thereby creating long term consequences for children’s future educational achievement.

In conclusion, inventions are meant to be beneficial for us if we know how to benefit from them. Television is one of such inventions and children should view it in moderation. Watching television extensively not only leads to adverse effects on physiological and psychological health but also decreases academic performance in children. I suggest that parents should keep a vigilant eye on their children’s activities, and limit the number of television watching hours to prevent them from the harmful effects.