Studies suggested that nowadays children watch much more television than they did in the past and spend less time on active or creative things. What are the reasons? And what measures should be taken to encourage children to spend more time on active or creative things?

It has been suggested that children nowadays lean towards reactive activities, like watching

television

, and away from proactive ones. Given that

this

trend leads to a whole host of issues for children, identifying the reasons behind it is key to finding the solutions. There are a number of reasons why children spend more time watching

television

.

First

, since there are thousands of entertaining shows, movies and music at the disposal, which are conducive to relaxation and instant mental rewards, children are highly engaged most of the time. In fact, most of the objects and motions they see on

television

are new to them, which tends to trigger their curiosity and evoke their feelings, either negative or positive, conditioning them to watch more.

Second

, shrinking playgrounds and parks deprive children of outdoor activities.

For example

, recent housing projects in Hanoi are set to close some of the playgrounds, making children resort to reactive activities

such

as watching

television

.

Nevertheless

, there is

also

a variety of solutions, mostly parental, to reverse

this

trend.

First

, parents can help their children refrain from watching

television

excessively by setting a daily limit. By encouraging children to consistently adhere to the limit, they will be less reliant on amusing contents, especially ones that are addictive.

Second

, even if there are no playgrounds, modern cities usually offer indoor activities and sports, which are

also

considered proactive. Municipality, corporations and parents should cooperate to create, maintain and promote these activities and indoor playgrounds to the new generation, perhaps offering free entrance for children under a certain age or supporting low-income families. In conclusion,

although

the trend might be difficult to reverse, there are ways to get around it. The coordination among city officials, corporations and parents can certainly make a difference in children’s lifestyle.