So recently I have noticed this Bollywood craze spreading like plague in our desi community…and my only concern really is the effect it is having on the little ones. Adults are mature enough to handle the influences and of course treat it as pure entertainment.
I have been to homes where their Dish is on all the time and little kids are around watching all the fun stuff and then later acting it out and even incorporating it in their play. The parents don’t seem to mind so really, it’s none of my business.
But just for the sake of discussion, do you think Bollywood movies or even Lollywood movies, drama serials, non-desi films, etc., have a negative impact on children? What should be the limits? How should parents control it.
do not have subscription to bollywood channels for the same reason, do not want my kids singing inappropriate songs and picking up bollywood lingo (their minds are like sponges!), they just watch their age-appropriate programmes, I watch what I need to watch after they are in bed.
yes they do have a negative impact niksik - your girls will start idolizing these bollywood girls, what is considered to be pretty, what do do and how to act. Not to mention bollywood idea of "boy meets girl and everything la la la" is too impressionable for young girls at any age. It places way toooo much importanct on external looks and beauty.
I have cut my subsciption to anything bollywood. I do not want my girls watching and being influenced by half naked girls dancing and prancing all the time!!
I DVR everything I need to watch including my fav amercian shows. I rent movies. I do miss my music but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make.
I really don't like Bollywood?Lollywood stuff at all. I have perhaps seen Indian movies once in a blue moon. Parents should definitely monitor what their children see and how much, regardless if its Bolly/Lolly stuff or Hollywood stuff. Even some cartoons these days are off limit to kids, just their adult connotations etc....
My kids wont be Watching Bollywood/Lollywood rubbish, if i can help it.
It has an effect on children big time from a young age, they wanna dance like them, talk like them, Chirps guys/girls like them, dress like them etc.. etc..
once they are older and if they choose to watch it then it's upto them(but hopefully they will have other interests by then).
First, let me start off by saying that I don't think Bollywood is the only bad influence on kids. Too much TV of any kind is bad. Unfortunately most parents (including us) use TV as a nanny (and then complain) :)
My kids never really showed much interest in Bollywood, except for a limited fascination with a couple of Bollywood songs some years ago. For the last few years, zero.
We have no Indian channel in our home, except B4U Music. No one in our home watches that channel either.
Our kids have shown zero interest in any Lollywood channels either (ARY, Geo, PTV, Musik etc).
All is not rosy, of course. They are hooked on to Disney and other kids channels with programs like Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place etc. Most times I feel thats also excessive, so we rationed TV time. Most of the time, this rationing also fails. The only saving grace is that at their grade levels, they get a lot of homework from school, so (hopefully) have little extra time to waste on these.
That said, American Idol is one of the few shows which is a family event in our home. After following that show for the last few seasons, my kids are now very familiar with english music genres, artists, songs and are a walking encylcopedia of all things AI.
I don't like bollywood and lollywood movies, the problem with them they are not rated so you can expect anything from them.I will never allowed my children to watch those movies.In this summer when they went to their grand parents house they watched first time some indian movie "OM shanti OM" I hate this movie because my kids got addicted to that and look at the dressing in that movie.SO for me its never not even lollywood .And as Faisal bhaii that too much TV is not good for children so I have limited their tv ,I only let them watch PBS and dvd we rent or buy.
i used to watch bollywood movies when i was a kid. i was a total boy with a ninja turtle collection and a mushroom cut so i don't think i was particularly influenced by their looks. although yeah, my first crush was salman, not the backstreet boys. these days most of the movies are really fazool, ex. dostana, so i understand why parents are more careful. but it's a fine line-because sometimes the fear only adds to the curiosity...so i wouldn't be all gungho about everything being haram with kids.
My husband is dead against bollywood, he doesnt even let me watch it when he is around, so I have totally stopped, have tons of unwatched bollywood DVDs at home in the cellar.
But now I think its good, as I dont want my daughter to be influenced by them, the normal kids programs she watches is enough … faisal even my 3 year old knows THE Hannah Montana. and sings her songs, but I think she is harmless and not a bad influence, there should be a blanace, I dont want to ban everything out of her life.
dear Niksik, i can't agree more with you. the solution to this issue is minimizing the screening of all t.v. from students.
the themes and idolising of glamour faces instills a lowered self esteem in growing pre teens and teens, and thus they learn all that is media's reality but not the real life societal /acceptable.
parents cannot do this, that have films and programming of this kind, go on in the house and then expect children to not get engaged in this.
this is alarming. and that is why it is all the more important that people discourage and creatively stop supporting the programming which is drastically unhealthy, non realistic and as we all know, any film or drama series, which is amoral, is not good for any child.
so, such programming must be checked. consistency is necessary for the parents to follow if they want children to themselves, begin to be less impressionable by any bad programming.
I think that bollywood has a major impact on kids who watch it. But so do indian dramas!!
We went to a nikkah and my younger cousin asked where the fire was (to do saath phere) OMG.. we were all like what?
Also not just children but preteens and maybe teens get influenced too... but they get more influenced b thinking about love aand the happily ever afters... and the heroes.. and filmi scenes and God knows what else.
When I went to Pakistan, it was a 'fashion' to sit in front of TV from 8pm until 11:30 pm (from watching this drama kasauti on star plus to saas bahu and whatever else in between). Noone wanted to eat food before, noone wanted to attend calls or do anything. Half of Karachi was quiet because Star plus was their new best friend. Anyway so one of my aunts whos son was 4 years old at that time would keep her TV on most of the day and of course her kid would watch the dramas on it as well. There was this character named Mr. Bajaj (tall, handsome businessman dude with grey hair) in one of the soaps. So one day we all went to Tariq Road for some shopping and all of a sudden my lil cousin started running after this man saying, Mr. Bajaj, ruk jayen, ruk jayen Mr. Bajaj. It was way too funny to watch that man's expression who turned around in surprise and said, errrr beta.. I am not Mr. Bajaj. But it was definitely an eye opener for my aunt... who then restricted TV in her house!!!
I don't think it's just Bollywood and Lollywood, it's Hollywood as well. I don't think I can sit and watch any american shows with my parents, they are filled with talks about sex, alcohol and weird stuff. Friends, That 70s show, even Disney Shows portray dating and what not. It's everywhere which is why we can't just blame Indian movies/soaps for it. I prefer to watch 'mindless' and 'hackneyed' Bollywood movies over Hollywood ones because I consider them (not all but many) to be far more decent than the latter.
The good part with Hollywood movies is that they are rated and we are very selective about what we bring home. Regarding TV, my kids only watch Sprout and Noggin and that’s where they stop. They have never watched any other channel, not Disney not anything. Only once in a while if I watch Home and Garden TV or FoodTV, my older one sits with me to see check out decors and cooking shows.
Bollywood. Like some of you said, it’s a bit of a problem because you don’t know what to expect. Once someone recommended this movie and insisted it was a “family” movie and we all sat down to watch it. Boy was it amazingly disturbing and more so because the representation is so not like our real culture. At least in the Hollywood movies you can tell the kids that this is not our culture. With desi ones, what do you say?
There are many parents out there that cannot resist watching such movies and justify it by saying that this is all they have for entertainment…or that it will teach our kids our language and culture
Anyhow, the thing is that the control is in our hands.
sorry I don’t have time to read ALL of the above posts -
here’s what I think of Bollywood and kids
I agree Niksik - I do let my kids listen to Bollywood songs for learning language - and I TRANSLATE the word for them so they understand the language. I know I take off the maturity and add it in a kiddie way! lol
I think Hollywood stuff is FAR MORE DECENT when it comes to kids stuff. They have parental controls and rating systems so kids can watch. They are FULLY dressed. Their MIDRIFF NEVER shows - while in Bollywood - they flash naked women so often - that it’s embarrassing.
I like the fact that for “hollywood” stuff - you have the control for viewing. For Bollywood - you just have to let your kids pop their eyes out in every scene.
For kids I prefer “Hollywood” shows.
But as I said I let them listen to Indian music and they love it just as much! For us it’s definitely about learning and enjoying the language. (They don’t watch it, just listen).
Too much tv in general is harmful for kids. Yes there is some good, but there is so so much harm! Even commercials these days are so dirty sometimes!I cant dont understand how parents can just plop their kids in front of the tv and let them watch for hours and hours. The tv is not a babysitter! Its so important for parents to monitor and limit what kids watch and how much they watch. Like someone said, their minds are like sponges. All the sex, violence, language, consumerism etc --it all really really has an effect on them.
Don't keep a tv and don't make friends who've got tv in their homes.
I dont agree with this. Altho I am not a promoter of the television.
As Niksik said...control is in your hands as a parent. Practice self restraint and teach your kids the same. There are some benefits to watching TV and some very decent programs as well. You have to pick what shows they can watch and then put a limit to how long they can watch it. If you keep them from watching tv....they will do it behind your back (most kids i think will). Moderation is the key here!
besides if you dont watch TV ...your kids will naturally pick up the same habits and not watch too much (or not watch it at all for that matter)tv ....all on their own!
.as far as keeping them away from people who have a tv...how is that possible? you can't keep your kids away from their grandparents. Many grandparents watch these dramas and movies in their homes. Surely you can not keep your kids away from their grandparents. However...if the grandparents respect your rules they will be kind enough to not watch tv while your children are there.
I limit the telly that my daughter can watch, especially bollywood, which she did start having an interest in and I noticed that she was starting to dance to the songs and knew actors names when she was 3!!
she showed an interest in what they are saying wearing, singing the dancing etc
so I put a stop to it, :ban: and focused her more on other things. (see fun activities thread)
I think that their interest should be more on education and learning through play, well for my 4 year old anyway!!
and sings her songs, but I think she is harmless and not a bad influence, there should be a blanace, I dont want to ban everything out of her life.