Celluloid Heroes: A Study on the Role Played by Television in the Development of Young Children

Report 52: Celluloid Heroes: A Study on the Role Played by Television in the Development of Young Children

One can become irritated upon hearing phrases like “spaghetting pababa, pababa nang pababa!”, “tayo’y mag-otso-otso na … “, “I love you, Dao Ming Xuuuuuuu! ! catchphrases consequentially influenced by pop culture. It is not the phrases themselves that is disturbing. What is worrisome is the fact that these remarks are often blurted from the mouths of our tots and grade-schoolers. Children have become well-versed than the typical adult about what the latest pop trends are. The question that comes next will undoubtedly be: Where is it all coming from? It does not take one very long to figure it out-it has an electrical tail, and a quadratic face that changes moods every time one hits its numerical buttons. It is none other than The Television.

Every household in the Philippines has at least one television set, even in homes where the people cannot afford to eat three times a day. Television has become a major part of people’s lives, averaging a minimum of 4-5 hours of viewing per person every day. With the excessive amount of time allotted to television viewing, it is only appropriate to broach the subject of media influence, especially on the minds of young children. The impressionable nature of children makes them receptive of the images and messages emerging from the television sets.

As concerned individuals, the researchers seek to understand the possible consequences of the powerful influence of media on children’s minds in the hope that practicable actions will be promulgated-should there be a need to. Focusing on an essential content of the media that influences children, the researchers chose to tackle the subject of the role models of the youth of today. Aside from the family and learning institutions, the media serves as a surrogate mentor or babysitter to impressionable kids inside the comfort of their own homes. It is only worth taking note what kind of characters children come across through watching television, and how they figure in their choice of role models.