The Child and the Media Onslaught

"Son, dance like uncle did on TV," says a proud mother of a 4 year old. The audience looks on eagerly. The son promptly does a popular Bollywood jig while the now beaming mother applauds. Welcome to the media 'savvy' generation of today.

Today's child is exposed not only to the medium of print but also the ever-influential medium of film, television and the Internet. From the daily morning newspaper to the late night films, we are exposed to an awful array of images. In fact it can be said that these images of the media control all that we think and do. We see the world through the eyes of the media. The most vulnerable to this onslaught have been children. As Wilbur Schramm, a communication expert pointed out, "Overnight a new box has appeared around which all leisure is organized."

The child and the adolescent of today live in a highly complex socio-cultural environment in which many forces; influences and impacts have constant interplay. Children below 18 years constitute a very vulnerable section of the population in the world. It can be said that before long television will succeed in creating a universal child viewer whose demands for information, entertainment and socialization will be very different from what they are today. With the steady increase in the number of DVD's and proliferation of such libraries offering a haphazard collection of televised fiction, homes with Internet connections and cyber cafes, the urban home is being invaded by all sorts of alien and destabilizing influences making nonsense of parental direction or guidance. Mayank, a 9 year old, admits having explored the 'reach' of the Google search engine while using the Internet to research for a school project. "It is so easy to get information on the computer. I can even download pictures for my project." High voltage video music with all its glitz and sensuality, expressed through provocative body language, is yet another entertainment format which is assaulting the juvenile psyche.

Researches have shown that television viewing constitutes a significant chunk of children's leisure time activities. Parent's lack of time has only contributed to this. Dance shows music videos, quiz shows, reality shows, films, sports and advertisements are the most popular with the children. The exposure to violence and sex has had a great impact too on the behavior of children. 10 year old Babu wouldn't mind trying his hand at the stunts on Fear Factor, a reality TV show on AXN. Parents and teachers have found this very distressing. Deepa, an art teacher who conducts summer classes says, "Most parents have implored to admit their children for classes to keep them from unaided watching of television."

Children are often selective about the programs they watch or hear. They enjoy fantasy, action, adventure and fast paced programs and films. It does not take much effort as a parent or caregiver to help them become an 'educated' consumer of the media. Some teachers feel that children today are so busy with tuitions and extra classes that they do not know what to do with their spare time. They end up watching a lot of television as that is the easiest to access at home.

It does not take much to make them aware of what they are watching. Parents can regulate what the children watch at home and in theatres, discuss what they watch and clear any misconceptions and encourage them to watch and read programs and material meant for them. Preferably, if the child is really young, watch programs together so that you know what they see. Give children alternatives to watching television or surfing the Internet. Mrs. Robin a grandmother who loves to spend time with her 12 year old twin grandchildren says, "I take my grandchildren out on museum visits or to an art gallery. I try and expose them to the local culture. I'd rather they spend time productively than dance away an evening at a friends party." When asked if they are willing, she said, "They don't seem to mind."

The situation is only getting complicated due to the easy availability of modes of entertainment, which are usually loaded with senseless and unjustified assaults on cherished values of decency. With the rise of cable TV and Internet, there is real danger that we may fall into a double trap unless society asserts its will to abjure violence and reject media output, which threatens individual integrity and social stability.