You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Studies suggest that children spend more time watching TV than they did in the past and spend less on doing active or creative things. Why do you think it is the case? What measures and methods can be used to tackle with it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer:
Nowadays, TV and smartphone have become the main sources of entertainment and spending leisure time for most of the children. In fact, most children are addicted to TV than doing meaningful or creative activities. As far as my opinion is concerned, I strongly believe that the availability of a huge number of channels, easy access to satellite TV channels, lack of proper guideline and the lack of ambition in children are the main reasons behind the children’s’ inactivity and less participation in creative tasks.
It is taken for granted that children watch TV all the time due to the availability of various channels with diverse means of entertainment which appeal to them. Moreover, watching TV has become a permanent habit without which children would get bored and uninterested. Consequently, children will not be enthusiastic about doing anything creative owing to their addiction to TV. For example, my child is 6 years of age. He is used to spending his time on watching TV rather than on creating or making new things. I have been endeavouring to let him active and do new things, but unfortunately, he always refuses to do so. This is quite sure because he is accustomed to this habit since his tender age. Again, bygone are the days when a small percentage of households in a country owned TV sets. On the contrary, these days a single family owns more than one TV and all of them have satellite connections. Moreover, children these days can watch TV programmes from their smartphones using the internet. The easy access to TV channels has made them prone to watch it more.
Another reason which deprives children of doing creative activities or new things is the lack of ambition and encouragement. Unfortunately, most of the parents do not motivate or encourage their children on what children do or intend to do. For example, my niece seems to be a pessimistic child because whenever she does or intends to do anything, her parents neglect her instead of encouraging and appraising her.
However, children can reduce the hours spent on watching TV and utilise those hours in doing creative or active things. If highly encouraged and motivated, children are expected to engage in those useful works and be accustomed to doing creative and effective activities, no matter how difficult or complex those works or activities are. Again teachers in school should also motive them to get involved in creative works. Parents should allow children to watch suitable TV programmes for a certain period of time each day and they should also get involved in different activities to set examples for their children. Consequently, children will be highly effective and proficient when they become adults and this surely is attributed to their past useful experience.
To conclude, children spend much time watching TV because of the easy access to numerous channels and the lack of zeal to do useful things. To eradicate this phenomenon, children must be motivated, guided and mentored.
[Written by – Abdulaziz Alharthi ]