Message from a mother to News makers and News breakers

The media tells me
You keep your child
We only want his innocence
The ads tell us
You keep your child
Here are things he needs to grow

The jingle shouts out
so what if he's young?
He'll soon grow up. he should know this and that
The shows in page 3
propagate artificial glitter
and tell imagination to lie low

To them I try to say, gently at times,
Please - let him be?
You and I know that there is a world
beyond pixels and bytes
Spare his senses,
let him discover its rights and wrongs.

Having said that, let me share some age-appropriate anti-TV measures I have used over the years, whenever mindless viewing overtook the edutainment aspect. (Some of the measures are impractical for daily implementation).
1. De-tune the addictive channels.
2. Help the remote get lost
3. Disconnect cable connection. (When that's no longer enough, remove cable out of sight).
4. Keep the TV in a locked room
5. Discontinue cable subscription.
6. Turn the TV to the wall, as close to it as possible (ingenious, I thought - my latest option)
7. Pack the TV in its box.
8. Adult abstinence, leading by example - (my personal favourite)

Comments

  1. Indrani14 July, 2008

    Yes, too much interference from media, do this do that...

    Well expressed thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kannamma14 July, 2008

    Put across so well, on behalf of all mothers who feel helpless when their child is stuck to the TV without any glue.
    Add one more - Read news from the paper than watching it on TV with added spices.
    Lead by example is my favourite too -by watching educative programmes rather than totally banning it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RAJI MUTHUKRISHNAN15 July, 2008

    Frankly, I think the producers of the shows are doing their best to keep children from watching the shows - they are so dreadful! Children are so discerning, they get turned off by most of the trash

    ReplyDelete
  4. Swarna15 July, 2008

    Indrani, Kannamma, Raji, thanks.
    Well said, Raji, and that applies even to some of the lighter viewing, the new generation animation shows -faster, sleeker, but less humane- do not leave you feeling as comfortable as the Tom & Jerry, or Popeye of yore.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kat21 July, 2008

    Have heard of child lock in TV... This is Parental Lock ? :-D

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

i appreciate that you have some thoughts to share, and are taking the effort to do so.

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Vishnu Sahasranamam- Vani's rebirth

A real 'story' as told by a close friend: "Vani was in her early thirties when I first met her in a Mumbai local sometime in the late ‘70’s. She never talked much but her helping tendency was obvious. She boarded the train at the starting point and always found a seat. Instead of sitting through the hour-long journey, she would offer her seat – a luxury - to another lady. My acquaintance too began this way – a few pleasantries exchanged over the train’s din. After a couple of months, she was not at her usual seat. Everyone presumed that she was on leave. In the busy buzz of the Mumbai life, no one thought twice about her till she came back after nearly 4 months. None of us could recognize her. She had lost weight, her cheeks were sunken, eyes lifeless, and to top it all, she had an almost bald head. Out came the rude shock that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo radiation therapy. She hoped that she had won over the disease, but even before
Read more

"Did Hanuman return the mountain?"

Image
The query was popped while we were travelling in Srinagar by road, trying to have a fill of the valley's humbling views of the Himalayas all round. Here are a few glimpses of Gulmarg and Pahalgam My son's query caught us unawares, and also got us thinking about the doubt that we never raised during childhood sessions of the Ramayana epic , and I decided to call my mom, our free encyclopaedia for all things religious / spiritual / cultural. "Yes, Hanuman was disciplined, and he did return the Dronagiri mountain to its original locale". (was our spot answer) Pahalgam Back to the query - Anyone, any idea? There are several versions, all quite satisfactory, if you spare a thought. - Rumassala is one of several places identified by the Sri Lankan Tourism Department as being associated with Ramayana. Hanuman carried a part of the Dronagiri Mountain that was rich with medicinal herbs including Sanjeevani from the Himalayas to revive Lakshmana. 'When the chief physicia
Read more

The Mughal Gardens

Image
The Mughal gardens at India's Presidential residence are open to the public for a few weeks in Feb-March every year. We were able to log a visit on Sunday, just a couple of days before Gate No 35 is closed. And now I attempt to describe the visual delights on offer without the right kind of pictures. That's right - being a VVIP enclosure, you are not allowed to carry the camera / mobile / handbag / car keys. (Good ideas of course for a proper, unencumbered stroll). Even my son's small notepad had to be deposited at entry. How to get there - Reach North Avenue in the Presidential Estates, then you'll find ample parking. Sufficient arrangements are available for visitors - lockers, lounge areas, waterholes (only water), first aid, a horticultural info stall. Herbal Garden - India's rich daily-use herbs basil, mint, fenugreek, ginger, garlic, asparagus and so many more , are well marked out. [If I had blindfolded my life-partner, he would have easily scored full mark
Read more