This is not just my advice for this post. It's almost a prayer. And I don't mean turning off the TVs as a symbolic gesture. We need to do this as a parental decision.
In Albania, television is no longer simply information or entertainment. It is a constant background, a voice that never stops. Its presence enters the home without asking if there is a child in front of it. And in my opinion, this is where the problem begins. Our television channels no longer have schedules, nor filters. They no longer have clear divisions between what is for adults and what is for children. At any moment of the day you can go from a morning show to a fierce political debate, from a black chronicle to a reality show, from a story of violence to a banal spectacle.
The so-called children's shows are simply just children, who often become "finds" from protagonists to once again highlight the model of the next politician, artist, VIP that our society produces without accounting. And yet even these shows are always few. There is also an effort from RTSH. To be honest, it seems more like the children's channels there are a rudiment that continue to repeat the same films, concerts and programs. There are no new productions that approach the demands, needs and tastes of our children in 2026. Even if there is one that has escaped me, well, it is not being properly marketed at all, if you think that it has escaped me who follows this field every day... I am so sorry to say that this is not my simple perception, but is an Albanian media reality. The Audiovisual Media Authority, AMA, has been emphasizing in its reports for years the need to respect time slots and protect minors. But in practice, control is weak and borders have become almost invisible.
Meanwhile, according to INSTAT, Albanian children spend a significant part of the day in front of the screen, of course not watching programs for them, but being exposed to everything that goes on there. So what does science tell us about this?
The American Academy of Pediatrics clearly warns: inappropriate content and uncontrolled exposure to media are associated with increased anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and imitative behavior in children. Children do not filter reality. They absorb it and take it as a behavior that they should make their own. Violence becomes commonplace on the screen and thus it loses its weight in a child's mind. Strong language becomes the norm, and it is imitated. When everything is a spectacle, even real life begins to seem inadequate. The World Health Organization (WHO) goes further: children's brains are developing and are directly affected by constant and uncontrolled stimulation. Fast-paced content, tension, and conflict create a kind of "stimulus addiction," making everyday reality seem boring and slow. Along with turning on the TV as soon as we wake up, and turning it off as the final act that breaks up the family, we may also wonder why children don't concentrate.
We continue: what is this generation like, they get bored and react with nervousness faster than saying “oh, I’m tired”…(!) Well, maybe because they grew up with a TV that never turns off. So maybe it’s good to keep in mind that the real problem is not just the technology in the child’s hand. It’s the screen that stays on at home, even when no one is really watching it. A background that speaks of crime, of conflict, of scandal, of everything that is not for a developing mind.
We have given the screen the unwritten authorization to educate and influence the behavior of our children. Understand me, this is not a call against television. I love the screen very much, I first tried it when I was just a child and I have been part of it for decades, always with children's programs. But now we have no attention for programs dedicated to children, no funds and sometimes not even the curiosity to listen to someone who would like to produce something that children can really love and can serve them. So my call is for control by adults. Let's turn off the TV when we are not watching it, and let's not let it be the main voice in our house. We have to choose what enters our child's mind.
Education is not just what we teach in the family or school, it is also this tool that stays on in the background, every day.
