Information is ubiquitous in today’s day and age. When it comes to news, there is no shortage of resources. From newspapers and mobile apps to news portals, there’s something for everyone in the market. However, there is one segment of the population that news mediums have not been able to cater to adequately – children.
Although there are many children’s newspapers, their content seldom interests young people as they are often in the nature of ‘fun facts’. Most times, they end up becoming piles of waste eligible for recycling. The average online news portal for kids in India is an extension of children’s newspapers that are distributed to students through their schools. Their interface is difficult to navigate since it’s just meant to provide a digital edition of news published on paper.
Our school curriculums also give more primacy to factual knowledge and rarely attempt to link current happenings to textbook knowledge. When school education does not provide space for real-world news, children stand the risk of not truly understanding their position and role in society. The world is growing at a fast pace, and if our children have to become able citizens of the future, they must have a sound awareness of the news.
How, then, should a parent go about choosing the most suitable news portal for kids in India? We have listed four criteria that will help you make the choice:
1. Relevance
The foremost criterion to keep in mind is the relevance of news being published by a news portal for kids in India. There is a marked difference between news that is catered to adults and news that should be shared with children. Children must not be exposed to gruesome
and disheartening news, such as rapes, murder, arson, etc. Regularly being exposed to such content can have an adverse effect on their thought processes and attitudes. Similarly, children do not need to be informed about inter-party politics and political events of all kinds.
A news for kids portal must make sure they pick topics that help inform and educate the child. The news topic must expand their knowledge about their country and the world while apprising them of innovations, political developments, and socially relevant themes. It will be an added bonus if the news portal manages to promote values like empathy, environmental consciousness, mutual respect, secularism, etc., through its content.
2. Writing Style
The second criterion to judge the quality of a news portal for kids in India is their writing style. The process of reading news is significantly affected by how it is written. The more complex the language the newspaper uses, the more time it takes for the reader to understand the news. Young children are already burdened with immense academic work. They cannot be forced to read time-consuming newspapers on top of it.
A kids’ news portal should use simple language while writing their articles. This will ensure better comprehension of the news piece and reduce the time kids spend on the reading
exercise. A lucid writing style is also a great way to improve English among students. When it comes to polishing one’s linguistic skills, there is no better way to do it than to read regularly.
3. Accuracy
At a time when fake news is distorting our perception of reality, it has become essential to protect our children from falling into its trap. Children are pretty impressionable; they must only be exposed to the most accurate information. Since it’s impossible for parents to constantly monitor what kind of content their child is consuming, it becomes imperative for them to choose a news portal that reduces their job and serves as a one-stop solution for fact-checked news.
An objective and impartial kids’ news portal will provide the building blocks for developing a solid knowledge base for your child. It will also give them the space to think independently and form their own opinions about issues. This will allow your child to polish essential skills such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, etc.
4. Value-Addition
The Internet has become a necessary evil in our lives. It is getting difficult to keep our children off of it. The rise of short-form content poses the danger of reducing our children’s attention spans and concentration abilities. To completely ban access to it is an impractical and futile step since the Internet can serve as an excellent tool for expanding our knowledge and honing our skills.
The average news portal for kids in India does a great job of information dissemination, but how many can ensure their readers understand what they read and if they are reading at all? Unlike school, where studying is necessary for children to pass exams and ultimately go to a higher class, news reading does not have any tangible benefit for children. In fact, it may seem like an additional academic activity for most of them since it is linked to their curriculum.
A news portal that incentivises children to read the news through quizzes, discussions, competitions, etc., will be a better fit for your child. This will make the news reading exercise more enjoyable for the child and ensure they spend their free time more productively.
Conclusion
The importance of news and current affairs can not be overstated in modern times. From enhancing knowledge, and improving language, to preparing for competitive exams, it comes in handy everywhere. But your child should not have to wait until adulthood to understand its importance. This is why we suggest all parents introduce their children to news from a young age.
