Can kids tell the difference between advertisements and truth?

A recent television commercial on the small screen in India cocks a snook at general advertising practice of arrogating the most outrageous claims to products. This soft drink ad adopts the ploy of showing an ad being filmed in which a female model is shown lathering her hair with a soft drink, saying how the… [ Continue Reading ]

Tube-watching Kids Prefer Junk Food

An interesting report on the eating habits of 91 families in neighbourhoods around Washington DC, USA, has revealed a significant set of findings: children belonging to families that watch TV regularly during mealtimes go more for pizza, snack foods and soft drinks laced with caffeine, and less for fruits and vegetables. Brought out by Tufts… [ Continue Reading ]

Violent Video Games: Do they desensitise young minds to violence?

Violence in the media sometimes begs for imitation in real life because it is demonstrated as fun and as an effective way to get what you want. Many violent acts are perpetrated by the “good guy” whom children have been taught to emulate. A video game has an added attraction – it frees you from… [ Continue Reading ]

Is Your Child Being Stalked?

Your child is just three clicks away from a paedophile. Shocked? You need to be. A recent report in the Newsweek magazine says that the Internet houses an underground network of paedophile rings where children are lured into sexual meetings, and abused for the production and distribution of child pornography. The report enlists a number… [ Continue Reading ]

Television Watch

It is often felt that children are voracious and unselective viewers of television who spend a considerable part of their free time in front of television sets. Television has become an integral part of our day-to-day life. It is baby sitter, companion and an important agent of socialisation for children. Television in these conditions is… [ Continue Reading ]

Seven Commandments for Internet Safety

In an age when most children grow up with a considerable articulation of their individuality, parents are faced with a challenging task. They need to nurture the feeling of self confidence in their children and yet recognise the innocence accompanying it. For it is this innocence of the ways of the world that often land… [ Continue Reading ]