Television and the Internet are powerful tools, for both good and evil. Parents today are concerned about the effect of this media on their children, but are also well aware of the great benefits this can bring to a childhood. Responsible guidance is the key to enjoying these advances in technology.

I disagree that the TV and the Internet are robbing children. In today’s complex and modern world, it seems archaic to live a simple life. TV broadcasts informative programmes that help children sharpen their minds and get abreast of the pace of the modern world. The Internet is a mine of knowledge. It provides all the information available in the solar system. TV programmes and games on the Internet help children enjoy their childhood. If you compare a child equipped with TV and the Internet to a child lacking in these, the answer is clear. The former is more sharp and active than the latter. So it can be said that children are robbing TV and the Internet of information and leaving childhood for themselves.

Samir Jha, Jorpati, Kathmandu

No, I do not think that television and the Internet are robbing children of the experiences that comprise a simple and joyful childhood. Indeed, both television and the Internet are great tools to learn from. They are both centres of vast knowledge and I believe a lot of children benefit from them. Children who spend a lot of time on the net or watching television also play hard in the open and are as much enjoying life as others who are deprived of the aforesaid technologies. A great deal of awareness is required about the correct use of the Internet and TV. It is our duty as a society to see today’s children make the best use of the progress made and furthers the cause of mankind. We must see that a balance is met between a child’s indoor and outdoor activities.

Nitin Khetan

First and foremost, children who spend a disproportionate amount of time using TV and the Internet are killing their intuition, imagination, and sensitivity, making their minds as useful as stones. Inadvertently, they are being robbed of the pleasure of invention. Over and above all this, free access to information from the Internet is polluting innocent minds, resulting in profound psychological perversion.In a nutshell, its demerits outweigh its advantages.

Bipin Bajracharya, Unique Academy

Television and the Internet have hypnotised the entire globe. The younger generations are victims of TV and Internet abuses. The minds of our children are filled with dirt, filth and rubbish. They cling to the TV and hang around cyber cafes ignoring everything else. Our mothers have become slaves to TV. Had they utilised this time in some productive areas, they would have gained a lot. TV and the Internet have made adolescents more prone to different sorts of crime and evil activity. Internet suicide is becoming a menace and has been a matter of serious concern over a past few years. Exaggerated advertisements on TV have added fuel to the mounting problems of parents.

Tilak Poudel, Doon Academy, Pokhara

TV and the Internet also play both a good and a bad role in childhood. It is the 21st century and children squeeze their minds with the advanced machines such as televisions and computers. They have already forgotten to play traditional games. TV’s and computers have become an essential part of our daily life. Playing in groups makes children more practical whereas these machines are making them more materialistic. Playing in fields gives them physical and mental balance, but they miss out on this sitting in front of the TV enjoying the globe in a small room.

Pramila Maharja, Lagankhel

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It is aplicable to television and Internet too. Children must be allowed to discover life by themselves. Like no one teaches a child that fire is hot and can burn. S/he experiences it. S/he touches the fire and feels heat. The next time, s/he knows it is dangerous. S/he becomes aware of reality. S/he learns it better by experience than by observation. If children are forced on TV and the Internet, there is a probability of selective receiving.

Arjun Karki, Urlabari-6, Morang 

Television and the Internet are a boon to the world today as you can access any information via the Internet instantly. As everyone knows, too much medicine turns out to be poison. Similarly, children have to be guided on the limited use of the Internet for school assignments. Guardians should spend time with the children to make sure they are not misusing it. They should guide them on how to access the Internet for good educational sites, as Internet could act as an open encyclopaedia. Sitting in front of the television too much hampers a joyful childhood as it leads to many problems like eyestrain and headache.

Prapti Dhungana, Student

Change is the universal law of life.It is the same with this case. Earlier, outdoor games used to be the source of entertainment but now, television and the Internet have taken their place. So I think it is not appropriate to say TV and the Internet are robbing children of the experiences that comprise a simple and joyful childhood.

Sujeena Shakya, Lalitpur

Television and the Internet aren’t bad in and of themselves. Today’s children are addicted to them, which is bad. Many children who watch TV are unknowingly trapped in the illusion spread by the programmes. This has discouraged the flowering of creativity in a child. Unless a child is creative and inquisitive, he can’t find much joy, and thus cannot enjoy life. The mind of a person relies on how his/her young mind is moulded in his/her childhood.

Kishor Basyal, Baneshwore

The introduction of television and the Internet is a reflection of the level of progress that we have achieved. I would like to remind our youth that television and the Internet provide a whole range of possibilities, which can be both beneficial as well as negative for the individual

and society. As TV begins to have more influence on our children, our efforts as parents to instill in them values, attitudes and aspirations, will be increasingly challenged. Our children are changing much faster than the world around them. This is the issue we face every day when we return home from our office. We cannot turn the clock back and forbid television and the Internet. But we can determine how to control what our children watch and, equally important, we can demand more programs of a quality that will attract the attention of our children, who are our future. Globalisation is taking place and people have become educated. The rate of literacy has risen and information has become vital.  We feel the need to access information as much as people elsewhere. People have suddenly realized there are so many things that they desire that they were not even aware of before. I have benefited a lot from the Internet and TV. It has done some good, creating a certain awareness about various events in the world. I have been able to keep myself up on international events. I do not yet see how these things have impacted me intellectually, but I can certainly discuss these issues, at least superficially, with my friends and colleagues. Most vices and delinquent behavior among the youth were adapted from the television and the Internet. To the operators of cyber- cafés, I would like to urge them to dissuade children from browsing, especially during school hours, while visits to pornographic sites should be discouraged among the adolescents because of the inherent negative influence.

Nitu Kedia, Kathmandu