Holiday package for schoolchildren
The three school holidays in April, August, and December are important for schoolchildren. It is their right to choose what to do during that time. Most motivated pupils (young and old) plan their holiday period with the help of adults. It is not merely fun and frolic for a month. It involves preparation for the studies ahead, reflecting on causes of failures and taking steps to improve weaknesses and lapses. In the face of such a vulnerable period, almost all TV stations exploit the lives of children for the sake of advertising heaps of food stuff targeted at children in the guise of offering a series of children’s films and cartoons throughout the holiday season.
Unfortunately, the new generation of schoolchildren is tempted to watch these cartoons on the numerous TV channels which advertise so audaciously months in advance of the holiday period saying that it is all for the sake of the betterment and enjoyment of the children. Alas! It is indeed for the sake of deterioration of the children and for the selfish motive of popularizing their respective TV channels. At such a tender age children are unable to discriminate between good and bad so they get tempted to watch all these cartoon programs one after the other switching from channel to channel throughout the day and throughout the week until the holiday comes to an abrupt end.
The TV channels thus gain the profits from advertising but the children lose their valuable time with a vain mode of pastime. The aftermath is the loss of opportunity for the children to engage in children’s leisure time (fun and play) activities and reading books. Moreover, the imagination of the children is blunted by this industry and they are made passive watchers of these programs.
What is the obligation of the media in this connection? The message to the concerned parties is not to book the holiday package for schoolchildren with films and cartoon parades in future. Why not act accordingly from next April with no advance announcements.
Madduma Bandara Navarathne
Kottawa