Barney vs Power Rangers: Who wins?

Dr Gentile presenting his research findings to the audience at the cyber wellness seminars.

At the recent cyber wellness seminars organised by TOUCH Cyber Wellness & Sports (TC&S), Dr Douglas Gentile, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University and the Director of Research for the National Institute on Media and the Family in the United States, revealed an alarming fact; that the type of TV programme your child watches will, like it or not, affect the child's development of his or her personality. Citing an example from his research, it was found that little children who watched Power Rangers had a higher tendency of displaying aggressive behaviours compared to if they had watched Barney.

Participants had a chance to experience first-hand, the thrill of gaming.

The two seminars, titled 'Media Wise, Digital Savvy' and 'Reaching the Wired Generation', held on 26 and 27 January, saw Dr Gentile speak on topics such as brain development and media, and video gaming effects. TC&S also highlighted the potential dangers of cyberspace and addressed several cyber wellness issues.

Targeted at educators and parents, the seminars were very well-received. Said Adeline Wong, a parent and Education Officer at MOE, "This seminar taught me how to set boundaries as parents and what are some of the reasons teenagers like to stay in the virtual world. This is useful for parents, especially those who are not tech-savvy."