Psychological Effects of Tv on Children Essay Example
Psychological Effects of TV on Children
Kids spend more time watching television every day than on any other single activity, aside from sleeping. Since the first television sets appeared in homes, in mid-twentieth century, television has grown into a phenomenon found in almost every household. In the beginning, there were only three principal broadcast networks; today, there are hundreds of channels available. There is no doubt that television has an impact on all of us, especially on children, so that it came to be accompanied with criticisms and concerns. Children love watching cartoons and movies, but too much of it during developmental years can have a significant negative impact on them. To minimize the potential negative effects of television, parents should be control TV watching and substitute it with healthy activities.
Television viewing is a major activity and influence on children and adolescents. People complain that certain TV shows are having negative effects on their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) both feel that TV does influence the behavior of children as young as one year old. From their studies, the AACAP states, “Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see” (as cited in Wilcox, 2004) This speaks to the impressionable mindsets of young children, who are still learning control of their minds and bodies, and are likely to mimic what they see, as it seems quite normal to them. Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way. Violence, sexuality, race and gender stereotypes, drug and alcohol abuse are common themes of television programs. The Academy of Pediatrics says “More than one thousand scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior
Kids spend more time watching television every day than on any other single activity, aside from sleeping. Since the first television sets appeared in homes, in mid-twentieth century, television has grown into a phenomenon found in almost every household. In the beginning, there were only three principal broadcast networks; today, there are hundreds of channels available. There is no doubt that television has an impact on all of us, especially on children, so that it came to be accompanied with criticisms and concerns. Children love watching cartoons and movies, but too much of it during developmental years can have a significant negative impact on them. To minimize the potential negative effects of television, parents should be control TV watching and substitute it with healthy activities.
Television viewing is a major activity and influence on children and adolescents. People complain that certain TV shows are having negative effects on their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) both feel that TV does influence the behavior of children as young as one year old. From their studies, the AACAP states, “Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see” (as cited in Wilcox, 2004) This speaks to the impressionable mindsets of young children, who are still learning control of their minds and bodies, and are likely to mimic what they see, as it seems quite normal to them. Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in some way. Violence, sexuality, race and gender stereotypes, drug and alcohol abuse are common themes of television programs. The Academy of Pediatrics says “More than one thousand scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior