Violence has proven to be a prevalent issue in America. Although there may be many contributing factors associated with violence in our country, many researchers have held television violence responsible. While television can be both educational and entertaining, some believe that television violence is influencing America's children to become aggressive and tolerant to violence. Acts of violence and hatred have become all too common in high schools and even elementary schools today, leaving psychologists and researchers searching for answers and solutions. For decades, researchers have been trying to investigate the effect television has on children. The recent rise in adolescent crimes has not only put pressure on scientists to reach a solution, but it has also put a strain on the government to implement new laws in order to protect society. There are many different ways in which television affects our society. Studies and experiments offer proof that television violence is an issue that needs attention.
The Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation logo.
The cover of TMNT #1
The TMNT logo of the 1987 animated series.If this problem is ignored, the conditions will continue to deteriorate.
Children today have more outlets to view television than any other era. Studies by the University of Pennsylvania have shown that that children watch television, on average, 7.25 hours a day, 5,000 hours by the first grade, and 19,000 hours by the time they graduate (APA Online). Television programs show about 20 violent acts each hour (APA Online). If you do the calculations, this data presents that children witness approximately 380,000 acts of violence on television by the time they are 18 years old. According to the laws of psychology, when exposed to a certain behavior repeatedly, there is a greater chance of imitation. As humans, especially during childhood, we learn how to act by watching the behavior of others, a term denoted socialization.
Much of the debate about violence in television programs...