ARTHUR POGHOSYAN: THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT VERY OFTEN FOREVER DEPRIVES CHILD FROM THE JOY OF REAL BEAUTIFUL AND SENSIBLE WAY
ARMENPRESS
MAY 17, 2010
YEREVAN
"Armenpress" news agency spoke with professor of California University,
psychologist Arthur Poghosyan about the influence of Internet on
children, parent-child relations.
– What must a parent know, with which he/she must be guided during
upbringing not to bother, divert the child and guide him/her in a
right way?
– First of all a parent must be aware to what type of parents he/she
belongs. First "authority" parent who considers that a child must
without caprices and immediately do everything what the parent will
say. Such parents more frequently bring up such people who during
the whole life are waiting what they will be said to do or when they
will show their will for moving forward. The second group includes
such parents who are more closely cooperating with children: they
"cooperate" – they do not demand indirect obedience, they hear them
and guide them, explaining and letting the child choose. This demands
greater time and efforts, patience. There are also parents of the
third type who are not dealing with the development of children,
letting him/her do what he/she wants. Usually in this case the roles
change and the child starts dictating his/her wish or what must be
done. Here the parent becomes child’s hostage whom the child forces
to do what he/she wishes: this finally harms the parent and the child.
The fourth group includes parents who are not dealing with the
upbringing of children as they are violating laws or for some other
issues: such children are growing under care of grandparents, uncle
or other people or institutions. The enumerated types are usually
not fixed: parents incessantly pass from one type to another choosing
the most convenient one for that moment.
– The Armenian parents, having big expectations from their children,
overburden them may be more than the child can bear. How dangerous
is this phenomenon?
– It is peculiar not only to Armenian parents. In the USA, working with
people of different groups, I see this phenomenon among representatives
of small nations. It is good when education is being highlighted,
it would be good if all have higher education. But, at last, it is
not a sign of good-breeding which is much more important.
Also if we press the child and he/she according to our wish, and
with overstraining strength reaches some position he/she will never
feel convenient and happy. The same is in the opposite case as well,
when the child is left completely free and does not use its potential
according to his/her wish, during the time he/she sees that in some
point he/she could have become a realized personality, worthy of some
status, bus failed. In this case he/she feels incomplete during the
whole life as understands that he/she has unused potential. Thus our
goal must be to find the potential of our children, force them to
use it and they will consolidate in what they have chosen and not
in our imagined completeness. In that case we will have completely
happy people of different professions.
– How does Internet influence on the development of a child?
– Internet has dual impact – positive and negative. Usually the
anti-American association of pediatricians claims that till three
years old child must not bear the impact on any of mass media as
it may have a negative impact on his/her development. Near the many
times registered positive impact of the Internet the harms must also
be mentioned like in Mozart theory. Some time ago researches have been
presented according to which the child who listens Mozart in future
has higher IQ-Intelligent content. Economically in respect of sale
of Mozart music it was beneficial for some people and different CDs
and videos have been quickly sold and after it Bach became another
part of economy, followed by other composers. In future, already
recently, it was rejected and it was stated that the child does not
display mental abilities from listening to the music, vice versa
it loses its own imagination…which develops in child when he/she
gets an opportunity to recognize, disclose the world on his/her own:
it happens when he/she contacts with nature. It is also important to
read fairy-tales for children.
– Is the bothered development of imagination the only obvious negative
side of the Internet?
– Internet is territory without borders. A person and particularly a
child, needs borders and when he/she appears in a place where there
are no borders, he/she confuses. Child needs parent to guide and
explain that here is this border, from here the phenomena changes. If
a child is making use of Internet without the oversight of the parent,
sooner or later he/she visits web sited where he/she may see pictures,
phenomena which may trouble his/her soul. The virtual environment
very often forever deprives child from the joy of real beautiful
and sensible way. My impression is that Armenia is making the first
small steps on the way to taint for which we would like to remind
the parents that children must not use Internet without oversight.