Television programs have both good side and bad side. TV can be educational and entertaining. It can create new world for children, provide the children to explore the world, give them chance to know other people’s culture and have exposures to new ideas and thing they may otherwise never come across in their society. Television programs presenting good role models influence young children to change their attitude and behaviors from bad to good. On the other hand programs with negative role models can influence the children to develop deviant behaviors (Reagor et al, n. d).
Television programs can affect the health of the children and life of the family either positively or negatively. There have been several studies on television and children and a lot of information is known about the subject. Several studies have been conducted on the effects of television on children behavior, weight, sleep, grades etc. Before deciding on how you can manage television in your family it is good to look at what research suggests (Osterweil, 2007). Effect of television on children behavior Currently entertainment and technology surrounds the children.
These entertainment and technology presents violence that may influence the behaviors of the children. Most children from average families spend most of their time watching television. Television presentations influence the behaviors of children. Children try to emulate their preferred rock stars and they show this by playing games similarly like their rock stars, dressing in a similar styles like their heroes, imitating personality of super heroes or cartoon etc. in most cases too much television viewing can be associated with poor performance in school, aggressive behavior, alcohol and drug use, precocious sexuality etc.
Presentations in television are very influential and extensive watching can sway the attitude of the children towards the negative direction (Eagleton, 2002). When children enter adolescent music become a big part of their live. Rock stars influences most children who watch video music and today, children try to imitate their idols by dressing and acting like them (Reagor et al, n. d). Music is a powerful tool especially in how it influences the behaviors of the children and there have been many stories of adolescents committing crimes and committing suicide and the blame have been on lyrics of the songs.
Sometimes the music itself may not be an influential agent but the artist may be (Kelly & Nault, 2001). Depending on the behaviors of the artist the children will try to behave like them thus molding their behavior either positively or negatively. Sometimes artist behave in unbecoming manner for instance in 1993, Shakur Tupac tried to hit a certain man with a bat of basketball and was sentenced for one month in jail. In addition Ice Cube killed a man and went to trial. Such artists are seen as heroes by most children.
On the other hand such artists are not good role models and their song that promote raping ladies and shooting law enforcement officers may influence negatively the behaviors of children. On the other hand there is prevalent music that influences the behaviors of the children positively (Reagor et al, n. d). Current most children spend their leisure time playing video games in front of TV. Some of these video games have content of violence. The theme of violence in video games can influence the altitude and perception of the children.
Exposure to television programs and video games may give the children an idea that violent fighting is an acceptable way in dealing with conflict and problems in the society. However, television programs and video games may also be helpful to the children. Video games on televisions may also be educational and are good source of entertainment. For instance some of the television programs have been designed to help the children explore various places and environment. Others have been designed to provide specific facts or teach academic skills (Kelly & Nault, 2001).
Few decades ago several home did not have television but currently almost every home has got a television and children watch them most of their time (Reagor et al, n. d). Many programs that are preferred by most kids are full of violence and children can develop aggression by constantly watching these programs. There was a case in Norway where a young girl was stripped, beaten and left unconscious by young boys of less than five years of age (Osterweil, 2007). The explanation of given by the boys as to why they harassed the girl, was that they were acting like the “Power Ranger Mighty Morphin”.
The boys also said that they were attempting to act like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. ” Watching television programs full of violent behaviors can influence the behavior of a child by making him or her suspicious, afraid or make the child to become increasingly aggressive. Most countries in Northern Europe have banned Power Rangers Mighty M orphan since they think that the program is full of violence for the kids to watch. Canada has also dropped this program. The broadcasting council of standards of Canada condemned the program as full of violence and global network of TV want to drop some of the violent programs (Reagor et al, n. d).
In 1970s experimental research to determine the effect of television violence suggested that television or video violence help the children to learn and copy those behaviors. Children imitate action of television programs similarly the way they imitate life actions. Further this research showed that modeling of children is influenced by other factors such as the prior aggressiveness of a child (Dotinga, 2007). The message and context specially the reinforcement or punishment of the presented aggressor and adult presence in imitation context or viewing context are other factors that help the children to model their behaviors (Reagor et al, n. d).
The influence of television programs on the behaviors of the children is complicated. Children can show an increasing level of aggression after the exposure to violent crimes. On the other hand other factors unrelated to television program also contribute to development of deviant behaviors among the children. The effect of television program on the behavior of the children is influenced by sex, age, the practices of the family and the way the context is presented (Dong, n. d).
The attention of the children to television programs is characterized as passive versus active. The attraction of children to watching television programs is influenced novelty of visual stimulus, zooms, cuts, pans, formal features that are rapid such as movements that create orienting reflex (Osterweil, 2007). Active television watching theory suggest comprehension is linked to attention. Therefore, when auditory or visual feature of content of television suggest to children that the program is designed for them attention is turned towards that program.
If the content of the program is not comprehensible the program becomes boring and when there is distraction the attention may be deflected (Dong, n. d). Evaluation and perception of the content of the television is different from that of adults who create the programs. To understand the development of television programs requires multifaceted tasks for children that include careful considerations to the actions portrayed, striving to achieve logical organization of the actions and ensuring that the information given is implicit (Osterweil, 2007).
Research on comprehension that examined both visual and verbal decoding suggests that comprehension is influenced by both experience and cognitive development. Children have problems with several tasks that should be taken into account in understanding the development of television programs (Reagor et al n. d). Conclusion Television programs can help the children to learn and are good tools for entertainment. On the other hand depending on the content of the program presented they can produce negative influence on the children (Reagor et al, n. d).
Young children like to be impressed and if exposed to negative role models then they start emulating the behaviors of their idols. Television programs are powerful and are supposed to be used as a mean of educating kids how to solve problems and assist them to develop their mind. Television programs should not be used to teach children how to develop deviant behaviors. Parents are ought to decide what the programs their kids should watch.
In addition it is good for the parents to watch some of the programs with their kids and if the programs present negative role models they ought to discuss the context of the program and what the kids should learn (Reagor et al, n. d).
Reference:
Dong D (n. d): Children and Television. Retrieved on 9th December 2008 from; http://www. museum. tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/childrenand/childrenand. htm. Dotinga R (2007): Kids’ TV Viewing Tied to Behavioral Problems. Retrieved on 9th December 2008 from; http://health. usnews. com/usnews/health/healthday/071001/kids-tv-viewing-tied-o-behavioral-problems. htm.