Are comic books beneficial for kids?

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Many parents are concerned that reading too many comics will make their children too lazy to read full- text books.

There is also the concern that comics are not educational enough compared to books. The problem is that most bookstores are now overflowing with comics, especially translated works from Japan and other countries, and parents find it difficult to unearth anything else for their children to read.

If your child is between eight and thirteen, he or she is probably a steady reader of comics. Interest in comics peaks in the fifth and sixth grades, and the craze usually continues through junior high school before dropping off in senior high school.

It is not only children that read comics. Many adults are regular readers of popular comic books such as Tintin and Asterix.

Almost any youngster will tell you, "Everybody I know reads comics," and the readers include both very bright children who get excellent grades and less intelligent children who have poor school records.

In other words, there seems to be little relation between comics and scholastic achievement.

Yet comics are a constant source of worry and complaint for parents. Are they really bad for children?

Variety

Not necessarily because comics vary greatly.

Some are harmless picture stories about funny animals and funny people in funny situations. At the other extreme there are those with no comedy or humor: adventure stories, murder- mysteries and other crime stories. In these you often find violence, terror and sheer horror.

Why do children read comics?

Nancy Larrick, author of A Parent's Guide to Children's Reading (1959), said one of the reasons is that comics satisfy a child's desire for action and adventure. Another is because in comics events move swiftly and episodes are short, which give prompt satisfaction. Comics are also readily available.

Many children read comics because they have nothing else to read. They turn to cartoon stories without knowing there are better and equally exciting books available, or without knowing where to get them.

There is no way to ban comic books from a child's life, because comics are everywhere. Forbidding them is worse than useless. It may push children to lie.

Reality

Parents are better advised to just face the reality that comic books are here to stay because they satisfy children's demands.

Few parents object to limited enjoyment from chewing gum, eating candies or watching video games. But if a child consumed little else, there would be cause for concern. It is the same with reading: if your child reads little besides comic books, it would be well for you to take action.

The most successful method, according to Larrick, is to introduce books that will be substitutes for the comics. This calls for careful planning and perhaps some experimenting.

Remember that children find it easy to get comics. It is be important therefore to ensure there are better books to hand, where a child can get them easily; surround them with good books.

Children who have enjoyed comics are also used to storytelling pictures. They will respond to books with illustrations that tell much of the story. So, introduce books that are so short that they can be read at one sitting.

Don't forget that the comic-book addict is used to reading for fun. No one ordered him or her to read the comics; no one asked for a report. He or she will find more fun in other books if they can be approached the same way.

Before introducing better-quality books, find out what kind of comic books your children prefer. Children under ten usually choose the funnies, including animal comics.

Those between ten and twelve are inclined toward adventure and crime comics. Once you know the child's taste, find as many books in that field as you can.

Remember, it must be fun. If you hand over a stack of books saying "Here are some books you ought to read" or "This will be ten times as good for you as a comic book," he or she will think you are giving him castor oil!

One of the best ways to get children interested is to read part of the book out loud or describe it a little in advance. Better still, try to get several children in your audience so you can develop group approval for better reading. (Soekanto S.A.)