Why Japanese kids like to watch TV a lot?

Question

One of my niece come to stay for a few days. No matter day or night, every time I see her, she always in front of the telly. Is it only in Japan or do kids around the world watch TV all day? P.S : not only my niece but I saw a lot of Japanese kids who are like her.

Answer 1

why American kids eat all day long from morning to the midnight?

Answer 2

Think about it-kids in urban Japan don't have a swimming hole to hang out at, an apple tree to sit under, or even pets to play with, etc. etc. in a lot of cases. If they aren't in front of TV they are in school, doing homework or organized sports. For all their love of baseball, they hardly ever play pick-up. Basically, Japanese kids today don't know how to play anything but a video game unless an adult tells them how and when they should do so-so they sit in front of the TV.

This is also why the depictions of rural childhood by such authors as Kenji Miyazawa,  L.M. Montgomery, Mark Twain and Laura Ingalls are still popular in Japan. I think the NHK still shows reruns of Little House on the Prarie where it would be considered trite and corny anywhere else.

Answer 3

Japanese kids are worked to death in school and then in cram school. TV is a release for them.

It's also a kid thing. You grow up in a city and you don't have parks to play in you watch TV instead.

Answer 4

I don't think they watch anymore TV than American kids. Maybe less. Most Japanese kids spend more time on their school work. And few Japanese kids are over-weight like they are here in the US.