Regular viewing of TV shows understates self-esteem in children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Regular viewing of television programs can significantly harm your child's self-esteem, which in turn often causes very deplorable consequences, scientists at the University of Michigan are convinced. The researchers found a very strong relationship between the amount of hours spent in front of the TV screen and the risk of development of an inferiority complex in children under the age of 14 years.
"The child's brain is simply open to the perception of the surrounding world. In this period of life from 60% to 80% of knowledge we get about the environment around us, and it is very important how our children communicate with the existing society. When watching TV programs and lack of other means of communication, your child, one way or another, begins to associate himself with the characters of many TV shows, serials and feature films. Given the fact that the world behind the television screen and the real world are substantially different, the child begins to feel flawed. Against this background, the development of chronic depression and an inferiority complex can occur, "states Kristen Harrison, professor of communicative research at the University of Michigan (USA).
Quite curiously, the risk of developing a prolonged depression and an inferiority complex depends not only on the amount of hours spent in front of the television screen, but also on such factors as skin color. Children of African descent have a 2-3 times greater risk of getting such disorders than children with white skin color. Researchers attribute this circumstance to two facts. The first fact - within the framework of a study that lasted for six months and was conducted with the participation of 400 children with different skin color, it was found that children with black skin in front of the TV screen spend an average of 10 hours more than children with white skin color. The second fact is that children with white skin color in later life have more opportunities to realize themselves, and to get some things that they would like to have as a child.
To a lesser extent, the risk of developing a different kind of mental and neurological disorders is also observed in girls. As the scientists state - as such, watching a television program to a child can not do much harm. In some situations, this preview is just incredibly useful. However, the young organism should develop and pass balanced, and electronic communication tools with the outside world must be compiled with human quite common communication, both with their parents and with their peers.
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