RIYADH, 3 December 2006 — A survey conducted in Jeddah indicates that children watching satellite TV channels over a long period of time have been found to be emotionally disturbed with an increased propensity for violence.
This is the major finding of a study conducted by Action for Children’s TV, an American TV firm.
According to child psychologist Dr. Maysara Taher, the survey observed the TV viewing habits of 974 children, both Saudi and expatriate.
The survey was undertaken to evaluate the emotional impact created by their prolonged exposure to the programming of satellite TV channels. The study also covered the impact of watching Sesame Street and other children’s programs. It stresses the point that children should not be allowed to watch TV programs unsupervised over a long period of time.
According to the study, an average American child spends about 22.9 hours per week watching TV programs. Children in the 6 to 11 age group in the US spend about 24 hours a week, sometimes peaking to 54 hours.
By contrast, Saudi and expatriate children in the 6 to 11 age group spend 70 hours a week on TV programs. This takes up about 68.6 percent of their time. The study recommends that parents monitor their children’s TV programs. Otherwise, by channel surfing, they could end up watching certain programs that they cannot understand.
“In the absence of parental guidance, they will be left confused and emotionally disturbed,” said Taher. “After all, children are immature. They cannot differentiate between the realities of life and fantasies dished up for the sake of entertainment.”
The survey concludes that as children are unable to differentiate between fact and fiction, they may become nervous as a result of such exposure. In course of time, they become addicted to TV.
Another major finding was that children that spend too much time parked in front of televisions have a harder time developing closer bonds with their parents. Moreover, it will affect their communication skills, both in terms of their ability to write and interact with others.
The survey indirectly blames parents for encouraging children to watch TV programs for long periods, as they can escape from their responsibility and attend to their own affairs.
Commenting on the findings of the survey, Adwa Al-Fadda, who graduated from the College of Languages and Translation (COLT), told Arab News that a major factor behind Saudi children’s prolonged exposure to satellite channels is the fact that when Saudi families visit each other, there will be a lot of noise pollution in the house. “Saudi parents find it convenient to let them watch TV programs of their choice, so that they could entertain their guests.”
She said it was not uncommon to find Saudi children beating up others or engaging in some of acts of violence. “When we ask them from where they learned this habit, they will mention a certain program which they watched on TV. Alternatively, they might have played a video game with a violent theme. So there is no question about the need for parental supervision.”
