Children and TV Children and adolesence's spend almost 22-28 hours per week watching television. This is a sad fact because this is the largest amount of hours spent on any activity in your child's life, aside from sleeping. Television has a large influence on children's attitudes, ideas, and behaviours. Teens witness 10,000 murders, rapes and aggravated assaults per year on TV, and four out of five Americans believe that violence on television directly contributes to the way children view violence. When children watch TV, they see other made up families, who deal with their problems different from how anyone else would. Children assume that this is how their life should be. We should teach out children about the reality of TV because television can affect the way a child acts, thinks, and feels about different issues such as violence, education/morality, and gender/racial stereotypes. TV glorifies violence and weapons, and teaches children that the easiest way of resolving problems is through violence.
Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Stree...
Family watching television, c. 1958
English: Welcome sign at the entrance to the headq...Children's programs such as "Power Rangers" or "The X-Men" portray world-saving heroes that children look up to and admire. They assume that if the strong, invincible heroes are around, the world is a safe place to be where they are free form harm. When really, they don't understand these characters don't exist and can't save them or the world from those that would hurt them. Parents must teach their children that these people are not real, don't exist, can't save the world, that it isn't possible for anyone to do this on their own, and that at one time or another, everyone needs someone's help. TV programs such as these shows also can frighten children too. They may be frightened by the ugly, strong villains. We must teach children that all villains are not scary, powerful or ugly but...