What are children watching?...The Influence of sexism, violence and expliotation in children television.

Essay by starwinCollege, UndergraduateA+, December 2003

download word file, 3 pages 4.2

Downloaded 138 times

Television is a form of media that has great ability to influence and brainwash the viewing public, especially children. The "talking box" in one's living room has assumed the overpowering role it plays today as a result of the weakness of society. The overwhelming influence of the media towards children is a constant threat to the children themselves. They assume whatever is on television can be "cool." Children's movies and television have in the past been very sexist, racist, and very Caucasian oriented. Now, even though times have changed, sexism, exploitation, and violence are still promoted in commercials, movies and television.

Gender roles are still fixed in children television, and the kids don't realize they are being discriminated. Sexism has been around practically forever and hasn't really changed according to the times. In a few commercials on a Saturday morning children cartoon block, in the ones that had toys, the genders were almost always predetermined.

The boys played with the new super soaker, and the girls had Barbies to play with. The children have been influenced to think that genders are fixed and cannot be broken. A commercial of an Easy Bake Oven had only girls and a mother in it. It set the role that a woman is supposed to cook. There was another commercial for Capri Sun Sport that had boys playing baseball. This promoted that Capri Sun Sport was only for boys that played sports. Where are the girls? We play sports, too.

Television has tried to exploit children no matter the consequence. Cereal commercials try and advertise their products to be healthy when they really aren't. All cereal commercials can be quoted saying their product is "part of a balanced breakfast." Many foods that are advertised to children tend to be unhealthy. McDonalds markets a toy...