95. Children being less active Nowadays children watch much more television than they did in the past and spend less time being active or creative. What is the reason for this What measures should betaken to encourage children to be more active Today children spend more time watching television than at any point in the past. The reason for this is the development of online streaming websites and parents should eschew smartphones to curb this trend towards passivity. The main reason that many children today spend an outsized amount of time watching television is that it is widely available on streaming websites. YouTube was the earliest, and now the most popular, streaming website for video content. Children are often allowed to watch it on smartphones or iPads. The more recent rise of streaming websites like Netflix and Hulu provide the same experience as television on the internet. Simply put, children spend more time watching because they have the ability to choose whatever show they want, pause it, and binge watch TV shows on a variety of portable devices with limited adult supervision. In order to discourage children from watching television, parents should not give their children smartphones under any circumstances. This is the first step that responsible parents must undertake. Once children are no longer tempted by phones, it is much easier to get them interested in creative outlets. Parents can sign up their children for art or music lessons. They could encourage them to do art at home and instead of putting a TV in their room, fill it with books and art supplies. Children’s natural curiosity and artistic energy will naturally takeover from that point and parents then need only supervise, guide and intervene when called upon. In conclusion, parents can counterbalance the rise of streaming by banning portable devices and stocking upon art supplies. Unfortunately, it will take a concerted effort from the majority of parents to prevent children without devices from being ostracised socially.
