TV and children

So much has been said and written about the negative impacts of television on children, and the news from an international meeting in Manila this week is just as disturbing.

At the conference on children's rights in the media, the Singapore-based Asia Mass Communication Research and Information Center presented the results of its survey, which found that eight of the 15 TV programs most often watched by Indonesian children are considered adult fare. In the Philippines, television has replaced parents as a role model for children, a trend that is no doubt occurring in this country too.

Other speakers pointed to another horrifying fact: Children are adopting norms and values more from TV programs than their parents. Others are more specific in their accusations when they accuse America, or rather Hollywood, of subverting traditional Asian values.

If there is any consolation from the Manila meeting, it is the fact that Indonesia is not alone, and that there is now a growing awareness among regional media experts of the need to address the issue. But given that experts tend to take their time when debating a proper course of action, something needs to be done immediately.

Many people have rightly argued that the final responsibility for what programs children watch lies with parents, but television stations must also play their part. Unfortunately, what we are seeing is the reverse, with TV stations shirking their social responsibilities.

Fierce competition for ratings and audiences as well as advertising revenues has meant a virtual exclusion or elimination of children's and educational programming. Even the privately- owned TPI is abandoning its original mission of education. It now proclaims itself to be a "family" station, a pretext for more entertainment programs. State-owned TVRI, once the vanguard of Indonesian television, is also losing viewers, many of whom now find its programs dull compared to those on commercial stations.

Television has the potential to entertain as well as educate. While TV stations are tapping the former to its fullest, it is virtually neglecting the latter. There is nothing wrong with entertaining, but the commercial exploitation of children has meant taking away their books and study time. No wonder television is often referred to as the "idiot box".

Indonesia's television stations can and should do something to redress the problem. They could learn from the United States and other advanced countries, where quality children and educational programs have also been commercial successes. Or they could learn from China, Vietnam and Japan which have also been successful in producing children programs.

It is also worth looking into the Yogyakarta administration's policy of restricting television viewing to two hours a day on school days. After just one year, average exam scores in city schools have improved.

In the final analysis, it is the TV stations that should take the initiative. They should do it out of a sense of social responsibility and not wait around for society to impose regulations. The controls and restrictions on the broadcasting industry being sought in the newly-drafted broadcasting bill now in the House of Representatives reflect the government's concern about the inability of the industry to regulate itself.