October 14, 2012

Switch off & Read! by mintaad.com editor

New research out this week says that ‘Parents need to drastically cut the number of hours children spend watching television, while under-threes should be stopped from watching altogether.’ This will in the long run improve their health and well-being. See link: (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2214886/Children-banned-watching-TV-improve-health-wellbeing.html).

Now unless you’ve been living in a cave since the telly was invented then this last piece of research shouldn’t come as a shock. We all know that vast numbers of hours ‘zombied’ in front of the TV, or playing on games consoles, and using smart phones, computer tablets, and laptops have all contributed in one way or another to obesity and a decrease in our health and general well-being. Come on, haven’t we been bombarded with that enough already?

However, before you get all huffy and puffy, rolling your eyes and flicking onto the next channel (which most of us including myself tend to do) is ask yourself what’s different this time round? Well, in my opinion, the main emphasis in this particular report is on the key phrase ‘recreational screen time’ and the word ‘recreational’ here carries a very large significance. Why? Because for the first time a report comes along that does not disregard the fact that children in modern life are increasingly reliant on computers whether at home or at school for that matter. The report argues that it is the extra time we, the parents, allow children access to these machines for playtime that is putting their health at risk. They should be banging about in the park in their free time, not on the keyboard of a computer.

As defined by freedictionary.com, recreation is the refreshment of one’s mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates. And vast research has shown that it is the quality of the recreation that we choose that directly affects not only the way we feel in the short term but in the long term has a significant impact on life expectancy and longevity. Besides the known factors such as exercise and good eating habits, factors contributing to better health and therefore longevity now include flossing, de-stressing, READING and switching off the TV/laptop/phone.  So the last thing you or your child need is more computer time for play after the huge amount of hours spent working in front of them.

This is not in any way a call to unplug the TV and throw it out the window, unless you’d like a right riot on your hands if your house members were anything like mine. While I am at it, let me make one thing clear: I am not against TV viewing. On the contrary, I believe that families gathered round a TV at the end of the day is very much like when in the olden days tribes gathered round a campfire for news, warmth and stories. With the warmth factor sorted thanks to modern central heating, the TV becomes our source of stories, news and yes gossip. The point I am trying to make (based on the above mentioned report) is that the key for TV to work as a recreational tool and not a life-endangering habit is to be choosy in what you watch, making it more about quality rather than quantity. Applying that rule will instantly reduce viewing time noticeably leaving more time for the family to do other things together. Like what? I hear you say. Well, hello reading, of course!

Research has found that one of the best stress busters out there is actually reading. Books can distract one’s mind from the day’s chaos. They offer pathways of escapism whether into fictional worlds or glimpses into the lives of real people that may inspire us. Gathering a family to share a book creates ‘talking points’ that in their turn create better understanding and empathy among the family members particularly if there is an environment for fair, open discussion afterwards. Families who read know more things. And with greater knowledge comes heightened self-esteem (it’s a chain reaction). Reading stimulates the mind and the imagination and allows the individual, particularly children, to better articulate individual thoughts and feelings clearly and coherently and to make up their own mind regarding different subjects (something that is very rarely attainable from TV viewing). So, what are you waiting for? Switch off and grab a book (make sure it’s from mintaad.com) and trust me, nine out of ten times the book is always better than the movie!

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