Lagdameo urges parents to limit TV viewing of kids
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo yesterday called on parents to choose suitable television programs for their children to watch as it greatly influence their emotional and academic development. The children are susceptible to the images they see on the television screen.
Msgr. Lagdameo, in his speech before the Children's Congress on Media Education said the influence of mass media especially the television is even greater than the influence of parents, teachers and church to their children. Children are glued on the television for number of hours. They should have the right preference on what shows to watch.
The parents and elders should find out the implications brought about by television to the children. The type of television programs viewed by adults may be good to them but it may not be good for the children to watch, said Lagdameo.
Lagdameo was surprised to know that there were number of children delegates who have a television viewing time of more than four hours a day. Out of the 62 children delegates, 22 children watched television for four hours, ten children watched television for five hours, four children watched television for six hours and one child is glued on the television for seven for long hours. The rest did not give their television viewing hours.
"You only represent a small segment of the children community in Iloilo City, what is happening to you is also happening to the other children. I feel I am out of this world as I do not watch teleserye," said Lagdameo adding he only spends one and a half hours a day watching television.
At the start of the congress, the children were made to watch teleserye shows of ABS-CBN like "Rounin" and "Lupin" of GMA Network. They were later asked to identify the characters of the teleserye they are watching. The children delegates came from the different parishes under the Archdiocese of Jaro.
In an interview, Msgr. Lagdameo stressed the importance on the amount of time and program spent by the children on the boob tube.
He said, it is very important for the parents to take a look on the television habits of their children and same time the kind of program they fond to watch.
"It adversely affect the children's behavior. The kind of program the children are watching manifest children's behavior. The effects of television programs in children's lives should not be ignored," Lagdameo said.
"Most of the families now own a television set and a refrigerator. And out-of school youth practically are oriented about our society through television. The television set serves as their school room for them to learn. However, there is no control on the kind of program shown and be able to teach and educate them," adds Lagdameo.
After the children's congress, the Archdiocese of Jaro will come up with an evaluation and recommendation on the result of the children's congress. It will be compiled and submitted before the church hierarchy in relation to the 41st World Communication Day.