Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette Do our children watch too much television? If yes, then how much is too much? Can children learn anything positive from watching television or is it entirely a waste of time? As a parent would I be doing the right thing by decreeing a “No TV!” house rule? A survey published by the Gulf Marketing Review revealed that Saudi children between the ages of five and 12 spend an average of three hours a day in front of the television on weekdays, and five hours on weekends. “I sometimes worry when I walk into the room and find my four kids glued to the television screen, their eyes appear glazed as if they were hypnotized, and I speak to them and they are unresponsive. For fear of the negative impact that the TV may have on them, I have banned my children from watching TV but weekends,” said Hanan Bukhari, a mother of four. However, she is in a dilemma that whether the ban imposed is harsh or justified. Child psychologist Amal Al-Hamed,who has a very diverse educational and professional background, had some interesting and thought-provoking opinion on the issue of television and children. Al-Hamed, initially obtained a bachelor's degree in information technology and taught computer classes in an elementary school. After sometime, when Al-Hamed's brother was diagnosed with cancer, she went back to obtain bachelor's degree in psychology. Al-Hamed continues to work with children, and has entered the world of media where she prepares and presents television programs for kids on Al-Ajyal – the Saudi children's television channel.
“Whether television will have a negative or a positive effect on children depends on the quality of the programs viewed. In some cases - with wise selection and parental guidance - children's cartoons can be educational and can have a positive influence on young minds. Parents should provide their children with recorded versions of some of the older classics that taught important values as an alternative to the newer cartoons which are of poor quality,” said Al-Hamed. Al-Hamed believes that instead of entirely depriving children of television, parents can be a bit more aware and choosey when it comes to what their children watch. “In the older generation of cartoons, the hero or main character served as a good role model for young children to emulate. Take for example, the honeybee Bashar who, in his numerous adventures and searches for his mother instilled in young children hope, perseverance, determination, and the importance of hard work and making friends. “Sally, the little girl left in boarding school was polite, respectful to elders, always helped her peers in distress, gave priority to fulfilling others' needs before her own. Another character that I can fondly remember was Flona who enforced the ideals of having a close-knit family whose family members loved, protected, supported, and looked out for one another to survive while stranded on a deserted island,” said Al-Hamed feeling nostalgic. An appropriate limit for children to watch TV everyday in Al-Hamed's opinion is two hours. Al-Hamed believes it should be treated as a reward to motivate them and not as their privilege and birth-right. As long as homework and studying for tests is completed and children spent some quality time with the family, or read or exercise, there is no harm in children unwinding in front of the TV. Be adamant in sticking to the strategy: work first, play later, A-Hamed advises. “Watching television serves not only as a form of entertainment, but it also expands children's imagination and creativity and can enrich their vocabulary and language skills,” said Amal, warning that these days, unfortunately, most of the cartoons are deteriorating in quality. The translated Arabic cartoons have weird dialects and the ones which are translated in English have too much slang and obscenities. Al-Hamed said, “Keep your children away from programs that are void of inspirational messages and intellectual challenges. Avoid programs that do not require the child to think and that promote violence and aggression, such as Tom and Jerry and the likes because children lack proper judgment and they may blindly imitate the images they see on television into their daily lives and behavior.” She further advises parents to not rely heavily on external factors, such as punishments, rules, regulations, reprimands, threats, and even rewards to elicit desirable behavior from their children. Instead, parents should preferably instill in their children qualities that reap desirable behavior. If we want to minimize TV time for our children, we should have fun and pleasurable alternatives for them to pass their time. Encourage other fun activities such as sports, swimming, skating, drawing, acting, visiting neighbors, and group play with friends. Al-Hamed suggests that asking children to give and volunteer is also a great source of pleasure and satisfaction. For example, in the family's free time, they can pack food bags at home, filling them with bread, yogurt, cold juice, an apple, and a handful of dates and then distribute them to the sanitation workers on the road, in stores or at the Corniche.
