Indonesian kids prefer TV to school: Survey

The average Indonesian child spends more time watching television in a year than sitting in a classroom, according to Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) deputy chief Eski Tri Rejeki Suyanto.

A KPI study shows that Indonesian children may spend four to five hours a day, or 30 to 35 hours a week, or 1,600 hours a year, watching television.

"Meanwhile, an entire school year consists of 740 hours. As a result, the amount of time a child spends watching television is twice the amount of time spent in class," Eski said on Wednesday as Antara news agency quoted.

Eski added that the hours spent watching TV increased on the weekend.

Eski said this habit began at an early age, as a result of parents who often use the television as a tool to pacify their crying children.

"Most kids immediately look for their favorite TV stations once they get home from school," Eski said.

Eski said having children fill up their spare hours with television viewing was a bad practice.

It was even more troubling when children often watch TV without proper adult supervision due to their parents' busy schedule, Eski added. (png/mtq)