TV: Harmful Entertainment

Ever since T.V. became popular in the early 1950s, it has been in the living rooms- and minds- of people around the world, and still remains a major part of daily life. Many people believe television is just "harmless entertainment." Yet, violence, sexuality, race and gender stereotypes are common and popular themes of television programs, not to mention the numerous advertisements for food, alcohol, and items like clothes, gadgets, and toys. These themes affect people's behaviors and attitudes towards themselves and others- ultimately effecting society. Television viewing is a major activity and therefore has a massive influence on all its viewers- children and adolescents especially. Children in the United States watch an average of four hours of television a day. By the time of high school graduation, they will have spent more time watching television than they have in the classroom. Time spent watching television takes away from important activities such as reading, school work, playing, exercise, family interaction, and social development. Just how big a presence is TV in kids' lives? TV viewing among kids is at an eight-year high. On average, children ages 2-5 spend 32 hours a week in front of a TV—watching television, DVDs, DVR and videos, and using a game console. Kids ages 6-11 spend about 28 hours a week in front of the TV 41 percent of TV-viewing is now online, time-shifted, or mobile, making its influence even more prevalent and accessible for anytime, anywhere. Young children are impressionable and may assume that what they see on television is typical, safe, and acceptable. As a result, television also exposes children to behaviors and attitudes that may be overwhelming and difficult to understand. TV molds a child's personality to influence what to think, how to act, and who to be; and when it has such a large presence in a child's life, as the statistics show, children will begin to mimic what they see on television. They imitate the