Hi there! I understand your concern for a proper upbringing of
your cousin. However, I like to highlight a few things. What makes
you think that with 'cleaner' tv programmes aired, your cousin will
grow up into a nice prim and proper lady? Anyway what kind of tv
programmes do you expect to be shown? Teletubbies 24hrs? Even
cartoons nowadays have elements of violence in them. Sylvester
constantly trying all kinds of methods to eat tweety. However, this
does not mean that the tv should show all kinds of programmes.
There have to be some restrictions somehow.
If you are afraid that the tv influences your cousin too much,
don't let your cousin watch tv at all. But that again, your cousin
can be influenced in school so ban your cousin from going to
school. No school? There are all kinds of people in the world,
outside the house. Ban your cousin from going outside of the house.
No windows for fear your cousin might see the things people do
outside. No books. Nothing at all. Put her in a small windowless
room and everyday you bring her food and give her lessons on how to
do things the right way as a lady. Ridiculous? Of course! My point
is, blaming the tv just because your lil cousin learnt how to say
stupid is just ridiculous. For all you know, your cousin learn the
word when she accidently hears her parents' conversations. Are 3
year olds safe from living with that kind of parents?
There is no way you can stop this kind of things from the media
especially in today's world. Looking all around you there is
internet easily available, almost everyone owning handphones. One
can be easily influenced. So what matters is the upbringing of the
child by the child's family. The child must be nurtured properly
and taught to distinguish the right from the wrong. How can you
teach what is right and wrong if you don't identify the right and
the wrong?
