kids and TV violence

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According to a recent government survey, the average American child watches an average of three to fours hours of television daily. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is violent and it’s not just adult themed programs to blame. Cartoon violence is prevalent and possibly more damaging to a child’s social development. Television is a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may: Become "immune" to the horror of violence; Gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems; Imitate the violence they observe on television; and Identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers: Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later, and young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence. This does not mean that violence on television is the only source for aggressive or violent behavior, but it is a significant contributor. Parents can protect children from excessive TV violence in the following ways: -Pay attention to the programs their children are watching. Watch some with them, you may be surprised at what you see when your watching objectively. -Point out that although the actor has not actually been hurt or killed, such violence in real life results in pain or death. -Set limits on the amount of time they spend with the television. -Refuse to let the children see shows known to be violent, and change the channel or turn off the TV set when something offensive comes on, and explain what is wrong with the program. –Openly disapprove of the violent episodes in front of the children, stressing that such behavior is not the best way to resolve a problem. The amount of time children watch TV, regardless of content, should be moderated, because it keeps children from other, more beneficial activities such as reading and playing with friends and developing real world skills. A little trick I have found useful is to disable the television from time to time. ‘Sorry kids, the TV is broken and we can’t get it fixed until tomorrow’. That’s when you really see the effects of TV on your kids. It may be a little dishonest, but I believe I’m doing them a favor and we always have a lot more fun than we would have if just watched television.