12_BT_December2019

Life & Style
Feature
Kids today depend on the media and technology for
practically everything from their communication needs to
information and knowledge. Modern media trends have also
introduced lots of machines, portable or hand-held devices
and gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks.
How a good thing can go bad
One thing about smartphones and all other internet-friendly
devices is that they place the goings-on of the world, both
the good and the bad, in the palm of a kid’s hands, so to
speak! Any child who is able to read may easily stumble upon
websites and material that may contaminate the way they
think or act, such as pornography, violence, profanity, etc.
Studies have shown that certain groups of kids are prone to
act out violently/aggressively because of media influences.
Media’s effects on kids are not to be under-estimated. It
is capable of influencing young minds like a giant remote
control. While it does have its share of pros, parents still need
to approach this issue with caution.
While some children do fall into the unfortunate category of
sexually-abused victims or those who are exposed to domestic
violence, you’d be surprised to find that some seemingly calm
and normal children are more deeply influenced by what
they see and hear on TV than one can imagine. Experts have
warned that such kids are akin to ticking timebombs, for
there’s no telling which is the straw that will break the camel’s
back - or when such kids will be influenced to the point of
experimenting on what they learn from the internet.
Watching too much television or even movies on the
internet also takes children further away from schoolwork
and homework, crippling them academically. Without
supervision or proper screenings, violent acts such as rape,
torture and murder for instance, and also questionable video
games can influence young minds in such ways that may be
difficult to reverse. Things become even worse when they’re
accompanied with profanity which happens to be on the rise
now among young kids.
Children who pass time glued to the television or computer
are also at a higher risk of developing obesity, seeing that
inactivity is a major factor when slumped in front of the TV
or PC.
How advertisements impacts a child’s
behaviour and thinking
Kids are often drawn to commercials and most commercials
are known to plant seeds of thoughts into impressionable
young minds about what they should be buying, using,
eating, etc, as opposed to what they might actually need.
They create trends to follow and superficial images to which
kids are easily drawn to, While the ultimate goal is always to
sell their products, the whole thing often leads to young kids
yearning to ‘fit into the mould’, so to speak. This may even
lead to severe lack of self esteem in many young kids and also
health problems like bulimia / anorexia.
Modern, fashion magazines are also to blame for their glossy
covers and pages showcasing models with so-called “perfect”
bodies that teens idolize and work towards, while of course,
compromising on health.
Kids and cellphones
Cell phones are not just communication tools but
they also play their part in kids’ overall style factor,
with all the fancy accessories, add-ons and whatnots,
either because they really want it or they
happen to feel the pressure of not having what their
peers have.
Dangers of the internet
The internet is rich with useful information, both for the
young and the old. While we want our children to be able to
access it for all their academic needs as well as for general
knowledge, we have to keep in mind though that danger
lurks in the internet!
This world wide web has turned into a haven for criminals
who can easily operate and carry out heinous crimes
undercover, and the ways they go about trapping their
innocent victims are horrifying. What’s even more horrifying
is, parents of the victims in the past never suspected that their
children could be gullible enough to fall for such traps, but
they forget, these are experts!
BabyTalk | December 2019 45