The Influence Television Has on Children
Essay Preview: The Influence Television Has on Children
Report this essay
The influence television has on children
The greatest influence on children of today is television. It has become one of the most popular inventions. As time progresses, television is becoming more and more relevant in the lives of children. With it Children have been able to watch shows designed specifically for children and also historical moments. Historical moments like when men first walked on the moon or Chicago having its first black mayor. They watch television while they eat, to entertain guest, before they go to bed, and to play video games.
Many people today blame television and media in general when something bad happens, for example shootings in the schools. However, should television take all the blame for effects and changes in American youth? Television shows crimes and killing, but television can also teach young children how to behave in the right way.
Television can not influenced all of us, but it can definitely influence young children, who are, “curious and easily influenced. They tend to mimic and repeat what they hear and see on television without knowing of right and wrong” (Simmons 149). These influences depend on what kinds of shows children are watching. Parents are the one controlling theirs children, but without parental supervision children will watch what pleases them; that is were the problem lies.
For example, if a child is watching a movies that contain violent acts, that can have some bad side effects. One of these effects can be carelessness. The child can become less worried about others and what is going to happen to them; they may not recognize it as violence. A study by Culling ford reports, “when people were shown killings and then heavily prompted, most did not think of it as violence. The frightening truth was that Ðobjectionable content had become so acceptable that it was invisible” (Simmons 150). The other effect can be violent behavior. Child may want to become violent, because then they will be “feared” by every one, just like the people that they see in television. Berkowitz concluded, from his experiment, ” television violence does arouse aggressive behavior, especially if viewers believes that aggression is justified” (Simons 150). Another effect can be revenge. This is probably the biggest message that violent movies are sending to children. In almost all of the movies we see people killing one another just to avenge someone that was either killed or harmed by a “bad buy,” or they themselves were harmed. This may influence children that have been humiliated in schools or molested. At some point, they may explode with rage to get revenge for what had happened to them.
On the other hand, if a child is watching educational channels consisting of historic programs or other kind of educational programs, the child can be influenced in several good ways. First, the child can become smarter. If a child is watching educational programs, they will definitely learn something. For example, from watching a history channel they will learn something about the past. Secondly, the child can become more responsible and aware about things that are dangerous for them. For example, the child may find out about AIDS and diseases that endanger their lives from television. In addition, television can make a child well informed about the current events. The child can become aware of things that are going on in countries around the world and the politics inside of their country. For example, if a child is watching the news, they will find out about everything that is going on.
“It is folly to imagine that television is responsible for