According to 2010 survey of ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry), urban children (aged 6-17) are spending an average of five hours per day watching television. The survey covered major Indian cities in which 52 percent of children had a television in their own rooms.

The survey warned that excessive television viewing prompts aggressive, anti-social behaviour, obesity and a host of psychological problems in children. With 66 percent of households countrywide owning television sets, parents need to make telly viewing informative and productive.

Interactive programmes

Encourage children to watch interactive programmes such as Dora the Explorer, which encourage children to think deeply, or to watch quiz and debate shows. Most programmes require passive viewing, and hours of that can dull the mind, so interactive programmes are a better option.

Get involved

There is no substitute for getting directly involved in what your kids are doing. Cowatching your children’s programmes will help you identify those that could have a negative impact on them. Discussing jointly viewed programmes and issues raised can provide valuable discussion points.

Transform inaction into action

Transform passive-viewing programmes to stimulate action. If your children watch music programmes, discuss music-related topics and encourage them to learn to play a musical instrument, sing, or attend concerts. If your children love watching cricket, encourage them to play the game. Devise ways and means to link ideas and themes on television programmes to real-time activities.

Plan family limits

Don’t set viewing time limits for children. Set them for all family members. Ideally, no one should be watching television for more than one-two hours per day. Get the family to decide which are the best programmes, so they can be viewed together in the permissible hours.