Television Influence On Children

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The television has been and will be present in Americans’ lives due to its visually appealing nature and entertaining aspect. It captivates the audience into not taking their eyes off the screen for hours at a time. The television introduced a new choice in life, it can consume a person and enable complete lethargy, or it can unite a family with a simple, new form of entertainment. By the late 1990s, ninety-eight percent of homes in the United States had at least one television set, and those sets were turned on for an average of more than seven hours a day. At that point, the television flooded all across the nation, creating an entire division in the economy and altering society’s beliefs. The television is thought to compete with a variety…show more content…
There can be beneficial and harmful effects of television on children’s mental and physical health. The influence television has on society are greater in children and adolescents. A child’s developmental level is a crucial factor in determining whether the effect will have positive or negative outcomes. Not all television channels are bad, but the constant exposure to violence, inappropriate sexuality and offensive language will add up to a negative result. The average child watches nearly 14 hours of television each week. By his or her high school graduation, the average teen will have spent more time watching television than in the classroom. This gives the influence the television to have a great effect, long term, with the amount of screen time susceptible, underdeveloped brains are watching. The activities television viewing takes from children’s lives like playing, reading, spending time with friends and family, exercise, and developing other necessary physical, mental and social skills. Television can also be an influential teacher. Watching Sesame Street is an example of a beneficial program that children can learn valuable lessons from and even show improvement in reading and learning skills. Negatively, the amount of violence on television can shape children's views on hostility and acceptable behavior. The average child sees around 12,000 violent actions on television programs annually, even to the extent of murder and rape. More than 1000 studies state that exposure television violence increases aggressive behaviour, especially in boys. Nutritionally, due to the time television takes away from exercise, children who watch a lot of television are less fit and more susceptible to eating junk food. A plethora of television viewing has a direct correlation to obesity because highlighted commercials support unhealthy lifestyles. Unfortunately, ads for
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