I am Astrologer Anil Agarwal, Reiki Grandmaster and bodymind therapist. During my Postgrad study in Sociology I did some study on the impact of changing household pattern and lifestyle on child upbringing.
As majority of urban household have nuclear structure and there is a shift in lifestyle. Economic compulsions need both parents to work and there is a lack of elderly control. Coupled with the wider proliferation of mobiles there is also a shift in the early socialization pattern of children.
Earlier the first guidance and education began at home with parents and grandparents or other elderly family members guiding the child. Now from pre-school level the children begin to play with mobiles and are encouraged to watch cartoon channels. As this gives relieves the parents from baby-sitting.
The inculcation of social values is missing. What is termed as ‘sanskara’ – imbibing the knowledge of culture and good social values that comes first from mother and then from father is now coming from cartoons, creche, and babysitters who spend more time on mobiles and doing the social responsibility.
The problem becomes more serious in case of single child families. With no siblings around the first guide and educationist of your child’s is his favourite cartoon.
Socialization is a social process of integration in your society to learn culture, correct moral and social values, your role and responsibilities as a member of family and society. This involves interaction within the immediate family, extended family and groups.
Childhood stage, the most important stage of the process of socialization creates. In this process, the first family and school, peer group, and mass media has an important place.
You Are What You Watch
The scenes of anger and of violence, weird dressing styles, body language, thought processing of superheroes etc. affects the child emotionally. There is no two way communication. TV is a unilateral socialization tool for children because children cannot ask questions, demand explanation and object while watching TV. The children get subdued and the cartoons change their behavior to some extent.
Cartoons appear to be entertaining to watch, but they also have the power to influence what your child thinks and feels about himself or herself? It shapes their sense of self-esteem, affect their behavior or even inspire them to be different from the rest of the world, cartoons can have powerful effects on children. The impact of mobile gaming is even worse.
When parents come to me to consult about their child’s growing intolerance, disturbing social behaviour and lack of interest in studies they expect me to tell them some quick fix remedies based on the analysis of child’s horoscope.
They happily share the information that the kid is too good with mobile games and just cannot stay away from cartoon channels.
The parents do not realise that extensive exposure to the cartoon channels will one day make the child a cartoon and the parents a clown in the society. The extreme anger and rage seen in the youth today is result or wrong values gained by the children in early childhood.
There are equally disturbing other side effects too. Childhood obesity is one of the biggest health risks to kids in globally.
Constantly staring at the bright colors, flashing lights, and moving pictures on TV for hours causes adverse effect on eyesight, physical health and character development in children.
The sound of the TV comics is so loud and distracting that it is hard for young children to concentrate on any other activity, including listening to parents or learning at school.
Unfortunately, the parents do not realise all this. When told many parents show their helplessness to do something saying their child is just not willing to listen. Now this reaction is vague and untrue. It is not because they cannot control their children but because they lack will and do not have time for their own child. They themselves lack good-parenting, they are too much career conscious and possibly addicted to mobiles themselves.
`It's never too early, always too late' is his concept of educating children.
~ Anil Agarwal comes from national media background and apart from being a
professional astrologer he is a blogger psychic expert and guide to his clients.