The Idiot Box By Arvind Gigoo
Introduction: The poem ‘The Idiot Box’ by Arvind Gigoo emphasises that the TV set is like a malaise that prevents children from developing their minds and hampers their creativity. He compares the television set to be as bad as an idiot box. The poem reveals how TV influences the eyes of the child. Next, the poet highlights the vitality of books and nature which are, however, ignored because of this television. Most importantly, how this passion for books and other important things that actually matter and help children to grow has been substituted with the addiction for television. Thus, this poem is an advice to the parents to not to expose their children to Television too much.
Summary of The Idiot Box
The poet starts the piece of the poem with those young children who are too much addicted to watching Television. These children watch cartoons like they watch spider man on Television. They do not play football and shape snowman. They force their parents to bring LED for them and shut themselves in separate rooms instead of enjoying the fresh air and nature outside. They have not seen mountains, flower gardens and waterfall. Instead, they enjoy the untrue man fly over a hill on Television. They do not read colourful books or comics and even they do not enjoy their food. They are so much addicted to Television that they have to wear thick glasses to compensate for the eye problems.
In fact, the poet requests the parents to do away with TV sets from their homes and to put a good bookshelf and instead place a nice bookshelf at its place and fill it with good books. This will help the children to develop and eventually succeed their skills, creativity. No matter, now, the children might rebel at this change and even complain and fights with the parents to throw away their favourite television, but at the end, they will be benefitting out of it. And a day will come when they will acknowledge and thank the parents for doing so.
The children should be kept away from the Screen, or the best part would be to never set up the TV in the house instead. If there were no TV sets, the children wouldn’t have to waste all their precious time. Above all, this will children to experience nature and the real world.
Question and Answers
Q.1.What do you understand by the idiot Box?
Ans. T.V is the idiot Box which keeps you occupied with serials, soups, comic and cubic controlled by a remote.
Q.2. Who is “He” in the poem?
Ans. “HE” is the boy, the child who watches T.V all the time and doesn’t socialise.
