Dr Heena Merchant, secretary, Bombay Psychiatric Society, said: "Media plays an important role in shaping up a child's thought process. Therefore, parental control is required. Children are vulnerable and cognitively not matured as adults. They try to imitate what they see on TV."
Monitoring your child while s/he is watching television is must, say experts after a Monday's bizarre incident where an 11-year-old Kanjurmarg boy accidentally hanged himself to death while playing with a dupatta. Teachers and psychiatrists say that children have immature behaviour and needs continuous monitoring and counselling while watching television as they try to mimic things.
Dr Heena Merchant, secretary, Bombay Psychiatric Society, said: "Media plays an important role in shaping up a child's thought process. Therefore, parental control is required. Children are vulnerable and cognitively not matured as adults. They try to imitate what they see on TV."
Dr Seema Hingoranny, child psychologist, said that with both parents working and advancement of technology, children are spending more time watching cartoons/TV. "Parents try and engage their children with cartoon serials. It is a common observation that children are made to eat, drink and sleep with cartoon serials. For the sake of entertainment it is fine, but co-dependency is harmful," added Dr Hingoranny.
School officials feel that it will be wrong on the part of parents who lock their children and go out. When children are left alone they don't understand the difference between risk and safety.
Swati Popat Vats, Podar Jumbo Network, said, "Three things are involved in this. Number one is that parents cannot lock their child and leave them alone. When children know that they are going to be on their own completely without supervision then they wont know the difference between risk and safety. Two, parents are not talking to their children when they are watching reality shows where lot of stunts are involved. Watching such shows with children, it should be clearly told to them that they should not try what is shown. Number three is that children below seven years should not be left unsupervised while they are playing."
Francis Swamy, principal, St Mary's ICSE School, Mazgaon, said: "Children watch different things on television and try to imitate them. We try to discuss about how to be safe when alone with our students during the value education period."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}