TV and children

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.