Effects of Television on Children

“According to Wikipedia, a television (also known as a TV) is a machine with a screen. Televisions receive broadcasting signals and change them into pictures and sound. The word "television" comes from the words tele (Greek for far away) and vision (sight)”.

Invented in the 1920s, TV has gradually imposed itself in our lives until becoming an essential element today. Several television channels were created. Programs of all kinds and for all ages are broadcast by TV. Thus, from children to old people through adults, everyone has it for his taste.

Although TV has long been considered an important technological advance, nowadays, more and more voices are being raised to criticize television. Its negative effects on people in general and on children in particular are increasingly highlighted. Here we will discuss the relationship between television and children.

What are the effects of television on children?

Some positive and negative effects of television on children will be discuss along with some advice for parents.

Positive effects

Research shows that television can have a positive impact on children. It can help them change their behaviour and attitude for good. Here are some ways.

1.  Educational content

A few television channels are dedicated to creating educational and informative content for the audience, especially children. They broadcast some educational content covering subjects like art and craft, science, history, geography and math etc.

TV is also a great medium that exposes children to different languages around the world.

Allowing kids to watch News channels, with a little guidance, will help them stay updated with the current affairs and names of significant people in the world.

2.  Discovery of different cultures

Television lets you travel around the world without you ever having to step out of your home. It takes people to different countries and educates them about various cultures in the world. With the right choice of programs, a child can learn about people and their traditions, lifestyles and attitudes.

3.  Entertainment

TV is one of the primary sources of entertainment for kids. The sounds and colorful images on the screen appeal to children and also retain their attention. From movies to cartoon shows, there are several programs to keep children engaged. However, make sure that the content is appropriate for them, based on their age and level of understanding.

4.  Television Can Inspire

Educational TV programs encourage children to try new things. For example, a documentary about famous scientists, artists and other public figures can inspire them to do good deeds or achieve something big in life.

5.  Sports

The best way to expose children to sports is through TV. Encourage them to watch different sports like tennis, soccer, baseball and basketball, by co-viewing with them. Tell them about the gameplay, rules and other interesting facts about the sport. If they show interest in any, encourage them to play the game or sport.

Negative effects

Unfortunately, TV affects children negatively as well. Here are some ways.

1.  Physical activity

Addiction to TV shows reduced the amount of physical activity in children.

Lack of proper physical activity and too much screen time can lead to vision problems.

Research has also proved that there is a direct connection between TV time and obesity in kids.

2.  Brain development and behaviour

According to studies, TV may be educational, but excessive watching could affect a child’s brain development.

Researchers in Japan found that watching TV too much can alter the brain structure.

Another study by The John Hopkins University states that toddlers who watch television for more than two hours a day can have behavioral problems.

3.  Social development

Kids who watch a lot of TV do not have time to play or socialize.

Less or no interaction with peers can affect their social development. TV eats away the time they get to interact with other children in their social circle, which may affect their knowledge and understanding of social interactions and behaviour.

4.  Exposure to vices

You cannot control what is shown on television and may also not always be able to control what children watch on the TV.

Early exposure to inappropriate content that has sex, alcohol, and drugs, could bring up questions in children, the answers to which may be too complicated for them to understand. The worst part is that early exposure can even give them a distorted view of these elements.

The violence portrayed in a “positive” light in superhero movies and the like give them an idea that it is “okay” to be violent.

It may even encourage violent and aggressive behaviour in some kids, which can be detrimental to their social development.

5.  A distorted view of the world

Movies and other television shows may exaggerate reality and create extremely violent scenes online, which may be terrifying for kids.

The amount of violence and guns used on TV may give them an impression that the world is an unsafe place for them.

Animated and cartoon shows, which underplay the effects of violence may also desensitize kids to the real-world events.

6.  Consumerism

The number of ads that children see on TV expose them to a variety of brands and products that they may not need.

Commercials encourage kids to consume unhealthy foods and drinks.

Children begin to believe that fast food, ice creams, and carbonated drinks are good.

Parents become the victims of consumerism as kids insist on buying something that they saw on TV. They are forced to spend money on things that their children want but do not need.

Advice for Parents

Here is how Parents can protect their children from the damaging effects of television.

1.  Choose the right TV Shows

Find out Programs or shows which are appropriate for children.

Do some research to understand the content and the message that the show sends out to the audience.

Encourage them to watch educational programs by watching them yourselves.

Pick shows with shorter duration. The longer they watch, the more the chances of them getting addicted.

Do not let them watch ads. Kids are naive and commercials can be manipulative.

2.  Limit TV Time

While you may not be able to control how much TV your kids watch outside, you can surely limit it at home. Here is how.

Set TV time

Specify TV times for kids for weekdays and weekends.

Do not allow them to watch TV while they are eating.

Ensure that you have dinner together, if possible, at the dinner table with no TV in the background.

That will prevent them from watching too much TV on any given day.

Remove TV from the bedroom

TV in bedrooms is a bad idea, especially for kids as prolonged exposure to screens can affect their sleeping habits.

TV is not a babysitter

It is common for parents to use the television as a babysitter when they want to do something without being disturbed by their kids. When you are busy, you may not be able to control what the kids are watching, and that can expose them to inappropriate content.

3.  Make it a family activity

Make watching TV a fun family activity, instead of a means to pass the time. That will discourage your children to watch it when they are bored or alone at home.

By Mr. Kamagate Yaya, Intern. Marketing in Sigma Group of Institutes - Vadodara.

Source: https://www.momjunction.com/articles/good-bad-effects-television-children_0074078/#gref

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Let’s Communicate!!!

Let’s ask one question - “How much importance we give to our communication skill?” This article is not about teaching communication skills. There are multiple blogs and posts on this topic. 

Even before jumping to earlier question, I want to begin with a very fundamental query - “Do we understand essence of communication?” 

It’s not really possible to make anyone clearly understand any philosophy; it comes with belief of acceptability with time. I’ll here try to give enough thought provoking statements and examples which will help you to experience or discover the philosophy behind communication.

“Keh dooN tumhe… Ya Chup rahooN, dil mein mere aaj kya hai…

Dil mein mere aaj Kya hai???”

Like many other Kishore Kumar fans, I am also fan of this song from Deewar. This song subtly demonstrates an example of expressing complex emotions. Is this an example of communication??

So let’s begin!

The word “Communication” comes from Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share". “Sharing” or “Symbiosis” is the foundation on which today’s human civilization is based. In other words, communication is one of the key elements necessary for our survival. But why we should accept this statement? Without accepting the utmost importance of anything, it is impossible to put an effort in learning or accepting it.

Now, what are things we share with each other? There’s no text book or guidelines on what to share but it can be as simple as putting up a smile or eye contact to as complex as clarifying your role in some crime or negotiating your point of view.

Emotions, from happiness to sadness, aspirations to frustrations, love to hatred etc. are the inner self that gets exchanged with self and others each moment – consciously and unconsciously. The manner in which we express these emotions become our behavior and creates action with subsequent results. These emotions are then converted in messages through words and non-verbal actions which forms the crux of any communication process.

We’re the only living organisms on this planet, who has received power of language from the creator itself. Words, presented in right format to the right audience, have the power to start and finish wars.

As quoted by legendary Hogwarts Head master, Albus Dumbledore of Harry Potter series – “Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of inflicting injury and remedying it.”

That gives some sense to the finding that only 35% of communication is verbal. Words need to be used judiciously to achieve desired outcome. Sharing these emotions through words can be in form of one on one talk to addressing a large crowd or a nation. 

Food for Thought: 

How many times we’ve regretted about not saying those words during heated argument?

As mentioned earlier, since we share emotions, it is well communicated through our body which makes non verbal communication percentage to staggering 65%. You can flip through any high profile training manual; you’ll find tons of exercises on physiological practice – eye movement, facial muscles, and body posture and so on.

“From its products to packaging, Apple communicates its emotions of being different, innovative, aspiration non-verbally”  

Finally, what matters is the environment in which you share your emotions. The surrounding environment gives automatic context to our message. Hence, you need to be in conscious state whenever we communicate. Your emotions change as per environment and alter the message to be conveyed.

In nutshell – Communication is a process of sharing our inner self with surrounding environment verbally and non-verbally. Philosophies have more depth than any example or fact. This is the reason I haven’t shared many examples. You just need to go through this article and get the soul of the message – Understanding communication philosophy.

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Blockchain Technology-New Technology in IT Field

In December 2018, a child named Divit was given a birth registration certificate prepared using blockchain by the New Town Calcutta Development Authority in West Bengal. The data of the certificate prepared in this manner cannot be altered improperly. One significant example of this is the application of blockchain for citizens in India. States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana have also started using blockchain for health, land and birth registration, online purchases by the government and so on. The common question is how is the internal structure of the blockchain? What are its main components?

           

A blockchain is a list of ordered and linked blocks. Each block has two parts - the header of the block and the body of it in which multiple transactions are written.

Transactions by users are recorded in the block as a transaction. The data contained in each block, such as the heading and the set of transactions, are calculated using the SHA256 cryptographic 'hash' algorithm, which is a complex mathematical process. As the key is needed to open the closet or box, the block needs a hash to read. The hash is made up of 32 bytes. In the header of each block is noted the hash of the block next to it, the own hash of the block, at which time this block was written or modified. The next block is called the parent block. Each block has only one and only parent block. The link here is similar to the 'next block hash' link or link to attach the newly created block to the next block, so that the newly created block is joined using a link to the next block. Thus, multiple blocks are linked together using a link to form a chain.

            The first block is called the Genesis block, and then the next block links to the block exactly ahead of it. As shown in the figure above, the last block of the blockchain, the most recent block, can be moved backwards to the first block - the Genesis block. This way the information contained in all the blocks can be read. Blockchain can be saved as a simple file or data base.

            Any minor changes to the part data of a previously written block are immediately recalculated using the hash SHA256 cryptographic 'hash' algorithm of that block. Suppose that the data in block # 1 was slightly modified. So the hash of that block will change. This changed hash must be modified as a 'block next to the hash of the block' in the block next to block # 2 and this will change the hash of block # 2 itself. Now the 'hash of the next block' field in block # 3 must be recalculated and reformed. Thus, all the next blocks, starting from block # 1 to the end, will have to be modified, which will have to do a huge amount of computational calculations. This will require a powerful computer as well as electricity to operate it. Here, it becomes clear that if a blockchain has multiple blocks and any part of the initial block has to be modified, that task becomes very difficult.

            The concept of blockchain is comparable to geology. As the top two to four inches of the surface of the soil changes gradually depending on the changing season, the soil geography does not change or remain stable for centuries, just like in the blockchain, there is an improvement due to the recent rotation of a few recently written blocks. According to one conclusion, the top six blocks in the blockchain are seen to be changing, but the blocks below hundred or thousand or so remain as stable as the lower levels of geocache.

            For example, we take hospitalized patients and their transactions with various agencies. The patient has to make transactions with doctors, laboratory, drugstore, hospital, blood bank, insurance company, etc. If the hospital is operated on a hospitalized patient, the hospital will have all the records, but it should also be reported to the insurance company. If a patient is examined for his blood in a blood bank, the report should be reported to the doctor, hospital, insurance company, etc. Thus, if all the relevant units were to be transparently reported on the various medical treatments being performed on the patient, the medical history recorded by the treating doctors, hospital operations, the medicines provided by the drugstore or the expenses incurred to the patient would have to be done under the contract. Payments as well as all records related to them can be recorded in the ledger of the blockchain Hey. You can keep a copy of every ledger here.

            The main thing here is that when the operation is done by the hospital, it will have a note in the hospital ledger, but unless all the relevant units of the doctor, blood bank, insurance company, drugstore etc are officially authenticating the transaction regarding the operation, the ledger is near all the units. The copy will not have a note on it. If all unit ledgers have to record patient operation records, consent should be given to all units. All units or users of the blockchain have the protocol to consent to the transaction by which the transactions in the blockchain are officially authenticated. This is because of the transparent information that users associate with that method. Because of this, there is no place for transparent information that can be accessed by users connected to that system, as well as for any obscure or incorrect information.

            As mentioned in previous articles, computers that are part of the blockchain, transacting and keeping a copy of a shared ledger are called nodes, and there are three main types:

1. Full node: which implements all blockchain rules in a rigorous manner, which implements a smart contract on transactions made by users. Full node has a copy of the entire blockchain database, ie ledger. The hospital, blood bank, drugstore, insurance company, doctor, etc. mentioned in the above example can be viewed as a full node.

2. Light Node: It receives transaction details from the full node and stores the transaction to a certain extent.

3. Minor Node: is a full node and processes the process of officially attaching the blockchain to the blockchain as it is filled with transactions.

The blockchain is divided into four types based on its usage:

1. Public Blockchain: Anyone in the world can read the data written in the blockchain, send the transaction, and, if agreed, the transaction can be approved. Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. are an example of a public blockchain.

2. Private Blockchain: A blockchain typically created for a single company or group in which only a predetermined user can send or share information or transactions.

3. Permitted Blockchain: Here only some users and groups are allowed to authorize transactions as part of the blockchain. The main purpose here is to provide additional security. An example is a cryptocurrency called Ripple.

4. Consortium Blockchain: Although it is a private blockchain, it is here that more than one company, rather than just one company, is formed for its own group. All members or nodes here have the node allowed to authorize the transaction, while all other members of the group can read it.

Recently, Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Government of India, has said that a document is created to provide the necessary infrastructure at the national level in view of the various appropriations of blockchain and its capacity. Research on the 'Distributed Center of Excellence in Blockchain Technology' project along with organizations such as C-DAC, IDRBT, etc., is working on an experimental basis, which is funded by the Ministry. As part of this project, property registration has already been done on the basis of blockchain in Shamshabad district of Telangana state. The Center will set up a blockchain framework to test various digital assets or documents such as certificates issued by universities, sales documents prepared by companies or companies, registration of vehicles or hotels, etc. Such a framework will be an important guide for software companies to use blockchain in various applications.

                                                                                    Dr. Sheshang D. Degadwala

                                                                                    Head of Computer Engineering Department

                                                                                    Sigma Institute of Engineering

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Employee Perspective: Is Customer really “The King”?

“At the very outset, let me start off by acknowledging that we were at fault and we not only apologize for the regrettable incident, we have also taken action,” IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh wrote.

About the incident

• The incident on the Delhi airport tarmac took place on October 15 and it started with ground personnel – Juby Thomas asking passenger Rajiv Katiyal not to abuse.
• The passenger continues to walk towards the shuttle bus and a voice can be heard asking the ground personnel to stop him.
• After this, Thomas can be seen pulling him out of the coach. Second ground personnel Sahiv Sharma indicates to the bus driver to depart to the airport terminal.
• A scuffle suddenly breaks out between Thomas and Katiyal.
• The video which went viral doesn’t show who made the first move.
• Sharma tries to restrain the passenger by putting his arms around Katiyal’s chest.
• Katiyal later breaks free from his grip and attack Thomas and grab him around his neck. In the ensuing fight he falls onto the ground and Thomas is seen with his hand on the passenger’s collar bone.

I’m sure, our memory can recollect this infamous IndiGo incident (whose video went viral) of barbaric customer handling few months back. Recently, in one of my marketing lecture, I was explaining concepts of “Customer Relationship”, “Customer satisfaction” & “Customer Delight” sighting this incident. These phrases along with – “Customer is King” & “Customer is always right” are widely used terms in business world.

These philosophies are on top list in induction training programs for all the new joinees. Even mid to senior level managers in sales and other business functions chant it frequently”. Still, such incidents often come in media. So a question struck my mind – Are these metaphors (invented seven decades earlier) still powerful & relevant enough in enriching relationship between employee and customer and achieving organizational goals?

Customer (noun) is one of those few words, that has become part of our daily lexicon & we use it as a symbol of superiority in the marketplace. The origin of the word customer is the Latin – “consuetudinem”, coming from one’s habit or custom – or, someone’s customary practice do something repeatedly.

As per psychology, each word generates uniquely strong emotion in human mind. Generalization of words like customer in place of “people” has resulted in low EQ (Emotional Quotient) & high MQ (Materialistic Quotient).

I remember a scene from Munnabhai MBBS movie where professor addresses a half dead patient as subject several times in his lecture. Annoyed by this tag, Munnabhai shouts – “Kya subject subject laga rakha hai, doesn’t he has a name? You see in the climax, the patient is miraculously cured just because of love and care shown by Munnabhai.

Even greats like Henry Ford and Steve Jobs address their customers as people…..

Henry Ford once said, “If I had asked people what they wanted they would have asked for a faster horse.”

King (adj.) symbolizes superiority, authority and power to make or break things. In a nutshell, “Customer is King” epitomize customers as someone whose birth right is to exert control and influence the market by making any demands they want, rejecting anything not liked. It still holds true from strategic & marketing perspective as customer has become more fickle minded, provided they have lot of options available suiting their needs.

Steve jobs once told Business Week: “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

But do you think “Customer is King” metaphor still valid from employee perspective? Following are my observations arguing, it has run out of course now…

• In reality it’s humans, who play role of customer and employee simultaneously. Human behavior has gone through sea change over past decades, thanks to technology and associated social revolution.
• As a developing economy, India’s 65% (approx.) of population is young (15-59 years). Most of urban young population has basic financial stability and this has made them – independent with high self esteem & risk taking ability, full of aspirations.
• Highly pressurized work environment & rat race for survival has altered employees’ behavior considerably. They’re now more pruned to short temper, aggressiveness and so on…
• The paradox is that working for a King also reflects - slavery, tyranny, apathy, arrogance and inferiority in mind of employees. It generates fear which compels them to accept customer as king. (Relationship blossoms with genuine feeling of love and care and not under coercive atmosphere)

For an employee, a lot is at stake when he deals with the king. He always carries a feeling of uncertainty that a customer (whom he calls king) is the one deciding his fate. This results in state of mental choking. It creates a dangerous state where an employee working for 10-12 hrs a day feels strangled for freedom and fresh air.

This state was visible in IndiGo incident where a communication brawl turned into a physical assault. The incident has been and must be condemned. But in the end, it was a reaction from 3 individuals who were in different mental states. However, this philosophy has turned more heat on employee than on customer. We must acknowledge that at ground level, a human is interacting with human. A human which has countless emotional states any moment based on his inner and external stimuli. We need more humane philosophy to enhance satisfaction and strengthen relationship with existing and prospective customers.