Negative Essay: The Effects Of Television On Children

The Effects of Television on Children
Television destroys a young mind’s imagination, creating a boring archetype of the world through a child’s eye. According to pediatrician Susan R. Johnson, it changes a child’s behavior, attention and causes difficulties learning, as well as affecting a child’s mind. By observing her own child’s attitude, she noticed that her child’s behavior has changed. She claimed “Before watching TV, he would be outside in nature, content to look at bugs, make things with sticks and rocks, play in the water or sand”(Johnson). By examining the lack of imagination, the cause of irritability, and change in personality, it is clear that television numb’s a child’s mind.
Monitoring what a child watches, it is noticeable
“Compounding the growth in channels for advertising targeting children has been another development: the privatization of children’s media use” (Advertising and Children). It is a growing idea for companies that wish to profit on a child’s interest by advertising junk food as well as toys that are far too expensive for the parents to afford. The parents feel the need to by this due to peer pressure. If a child sees their friend with the hottest toy on the market the child often wants the counterpart to that said toy. The commercials are also massively causing a increase in weight gain, due to the sugary products advertised on television creating a demand in said product. The fact that people are targeting children and doing studies in order to persuade the younger population, make them want the product even more through once again, flashy colors and appeal to the product. Children are compelled to buy these products due to the advancements in advertising which could lead to chaos in the
Especially when parents do not monitor what children watch. Shows like Spongebob, Chowder, and Clarence do not teach a child moral qualities, if anything they teach children the opposite of the morals they should learn. For example, misconduct like robbing a candy store, irregular grammar, and lastly violent idiotic themes. Children watch shows like this as a entertainment source, but often take on habits that their favorite character, Spongebob, loud and obnoxious. Clarence, again loud, idiotic and literally no need for learning. Chowder is a show with a bit of a disrespectful character. Children tend to act like these said characters if the parents are not careful, the very few positive traits of these characters often go unnoticed and often have to be searched for. Children mainly notice the bad traits because they seem more fun, and because it is okay for the character to act that way in the show, it becomes natural for the young viewer to act like the character of the show they worship. The key is to find a show that is both educational in the moral department and entertaining, but not idiotically to the point where the parents notice the personality of their child changing slowly but surely. It is a complicated process, but rest