the Impact of television

Imam Nurhidayat

IE’13 004201300023

ENGLISH

Television and Children

Television or well known as TV, is a machine that used to entertain and publish thing. Since it found and became widely used in 1950s, it has grown widely in popularity. Nowadays, many families in city until villagers, they almost have this thing in their house. Not only in their house, but now television are used to published and entertain every one and everywhere, like in waiting room, canteen also in public transportation. Anyway, televisions nowadays are free publisher, the TV station or program can publish everything. Start from news, gossip, sport, cartoon, until quizzes and Edu-TV (TV for education). The owners are not concern about the benefits or the impact of the program or content on the TV for their family. They just make it for fun and show their treasure or their result of their job. Actually, they must concern about the benefits and the problem to their family, because it can influence or addicted by the TV.

First of all, I will explain about the benefits of watching TV, especially the benefits for the children. The benefits of watching television for the children are three kinds. They are increasing the creativity of the children, educating and also entertaining. The biggest benefit from my opinion is education that gift from TV. As I know, the children who consume the program on the TV most of them are primary school age. They usually study at school from 07:00 a.m. until noon or around 01:00 p.m. Then they go home and directly turn on the TV and watch it until they feel enough. It indicate that they study at school are less than their time to spend to watch the TV. From the Edu-TV or TV education they can learn more and review their knowledge that gets from the school. In the other side, by watching the cartoon, they can take the moral education, knowing the other character also can increase their imagination. Besides that, by watching TV, the children also increase their creativity to solve the problems that appear.

In the other way, TV also has some weaknesses and bad impact to the children. When the children watched it a whole day and every times, it make their eyes getting “minus”. It caused by their eyes muscle ability to adapt is decreasing. Then, when they addicted but not so far from the TV, they feel comfort with their new friend (TV programs) and it makes them difficult and stranger to socialize with their friends. The next problem and I think this is the worst one is when TV is addicting not only their social but their mental spirit. In this case, when they start addicted, first of all they will feel uncomfortable when they stay far from the TV. Then, they will imagine too much from the TV program or cartoon or film and it makes they feel the program on the TV is their world. The worst part of the worst in this case, is when they face they reality in their real life are not same with their expectation as they seen from TV, they will failed to face it and make them in bad condition. It also makes the children feel sad every time, lazy to study or doing some activity, then makes their accomplishment is decreasing. When that entire thing combined and complicating, it makes them lost their future and dreams.

In the other side where the parents still confused or still looking for the solution to solve their child problem, there are still a lot of activities that they can do. The activities that can do are, touring together to the education park. This activity can encourage the connection between the parents and their child. The next is drawing or singing course, besides give the child another activity, it also increase their skill and imagination much better than they just watching on the TV. The last activity that suggested is, playing with their friends and also playing water. By played together with friends, it makes them understand and tolerance with each other, make them have the skill of communication, so make it easy to get experience. Then, they also can play water or swimming. In the evidence of this activity, show that when they swimming, they will increase their motoric skill and self-coordination skill. Based on the research that published by the scientist in Melbourne, Australia show that the 10 years old children who trained to swim or playing water have higher IQ level than the children who are not train to swim or playing water since five years old.

We have seen that TV has it impact either positive or negative for children. The positive impacts are increasing their creativity, educating and entertaining, in which the widest effect is to educate the children. Then, in the other side the negative impact are stronger than the positive side. They are decreasing their social activity and social skill, health effect to their eyes by make their eyes weak and the worst is decreasing their mental and their mind to think positive and to expand their  skill. TV or television has its power to influence child and adult, but there are still so many activities that can do and better than watching TV. They are, playing together, playing water and increase their motoric and problem-solving skill, also parent can take them to drawing course and singing course, it will expand their soft skill. Finally, the most powerful spirit to educate the children than watching TV, is by keep them together, together with their friends or together with their parents, it will make the children feel comfort and tolerance.