AMONG the nicknames given to the television set is the childminder.Apparently, many parents have found that the easiest and cheapest way to keepthe children quiet is to set them down in front of what has also been calledthe one-eyed hypnotist.

A report published in the Australia Sun stated: A major survey in Britainhas just revealed that most parents find it [TV] indispensable as ababy-sitter. In fact, a staggering seven out of every 10 parents use televisionto get the children off their hands, despite the fact that they are vaguelyconcerned about the ‘bad language and violence’ on the box. What’s more, nineout of 10 parents allow their children to view indiscriminately.

A Very Demanding Member of the Family

Yes, TV has gate-crashed into millions of homes throughout the world and hasbecome a very obtrusive member of the family, often monopolizing theconversation. In many families it commands more respect than husband or wife,father or mother. A husband who does not hesitate to bury his head in anewspaper or magazine while his wife is speaking to him is all eyes and earswhen the childminder talks. Children who talk back to their parents sit insilence, goggle-eyed, when Mr. TV talks to them.

Timewise, also, TV has become very demanding. Average televiewing time isincreasing in most countries. In the United States the use of television rosefrom five hours and fifty minutes a day in 1969 to seven hours and twenty-fiveminutes per day in 1980. In Japan the total number of households is lower thanthe number of TV sets, and, in 1978, these were turned on for over five hours aday, as compared with three hours in Canada and two hours in France.

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Does TV Make for Family Togetherness?

Whether it is for seven hours a day or for two, all this televiewing cannotfail to have a profound effect on the life of the average family. British childpsychologist Penelope Leach reckons that television is one of the biggestthreats to family life, a gadget which stops parents and children fromcommunicating. ‘People simply stop talking to each other,’ she says.—The Sun(Australia), March 18, 1980.

True, some people claim that television has drawn families together becausethe children go out less. But, while watching a TV show in silence, are familymembers really together? Does televiewing promote togetherness, defined as thespending of much time together, as in social and leisure-time activities. . . esp[ecially] when regarded as resulting in a more unified,stable relationship? Rather, does not excessive TV viewing prevent propercommunication between husband and wife, parents and children, and even betweenthe children themselves?

Not only has television greatly limited or even completely replaced familyrecreation—games, hobbies, hikes, and so forth—but it often prevents childrenfrom helping around the home. This is the stuff togetherness is made of, andinsofar as TV has replaced these things it must share the responsibility forthe breakdown of family life. History shows that when the family breaks down,soon society itself and whole governments crumble and disappear.

Effect on Children

The effect of television on children is incalculable. Most of them take toit like a duck to water. They will watch almost anything. The TV screen seemsto hypnotize them. According to one survey, children in the United Statesspend, on an average, from four to five hours a day looking at TV. The averageis lower in other countries, but two hours a day seems to be the minimum inmost developed countries. While doing research on child development at theUniversity of Michigan, Professor John Murray stated: When children spend up tofive or six hours a day watching television the first thing you wonder is whatactivities are they missing.

Yes, what are they missing in the way of good reading, school homework beingproperly done, developing a hobby, healthy exercise, relaxing games andlearning to share pleasure and playthings with others? And the question is notonly, What are they missing? but, more importantly, What are they learning?

It would be unjust to say they learn nothing good. TV can be veryeducational; it can widen out children’s knowledge of the world around them andarouse their interest in geography, natural science and history. But it wouldbe equally unjust to deny that TV also teaches them violence and gives them awarped view of sex and a twisted standard of conduct. So the question remains:Is TV a bane or a boon?

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