Today many children watch TV anywhere from three to five hours a day. Now it has become an important presence in their lives, however it has it's affects. Parents believe in myths about TV and use them to prevent their children from watching it. There are many myths about TV and include: if it actually helps children learn, if it makes people gain weight, and if violence is a major influence over children. Some are legitimate and do make sense, while others are outright lies.
1. Many parents believe that TV makes their children dumb. The programs on TV are not improving their cognitive skills and are wasting their time. In fact, TV shows such as "Sesame Street" and "Dora the Explorer" have proven to improve their skills. Studies have shown that children who watch educational TV for an hour a day are better off than those who don't. As teenagers they score better on achievement tests, perform better in class, read more, and are more creative. If this is the case, then why do parents think that watching TV is dumb? Maybe they are allowing their children to watch cartoons rather than programs that help them learn. All educational shows try and provide the same excitement that cartoons do. They have children the same age, they have funny scenes, and most of all they teach you numbers, letters, and many other subjects. I don't believe that TV makes kids dumb, as long as they pick the right shows to watch.
2. Parents also believe that TV makes kids violent. It is true that children are more aggressive when they watch content where there is extreme violence. On the other hand, good behavior was associated with children who watch shows such as "Mr. Rogers" where they teach you manners and good behaviors. Again, its the programming that is presented to them at a younger age. If they are allowed to watch programs that are violent then they will predisposed to violence. That is all that they will understand and will forget about the shows that portray good behavior since they like violent shows better. If parents present their children with programs that explain good behavior, then then parents won't think that TV makes their children violent.
3. Doctors and parents believe that sitting around watching TV is what makes children overweight. In actuality, it is the choice to watch TV that causes obesity. One could argue that all activities that require you to sit down cause obesity, such as reading, painting, and block-building. Research has shown that that watching TV encourages the viewer to over eat and snack all the time. The viewer is bombarded by advertisements about food every commercial break, and it only persuades them to eat more. However, I believe that it depends on how gullible and easily influenced a viewer is. If a viewer believes that a snack will actually help them lose weight when it doesn't, then of course they will gain weight. Obesity caused by watching TV is based on many factors, and cannot be the only reason that children are obese these days.
4. Some people believe that TV can help children fall asleep easier and that they watch too much of it. In reality, TV disrupts children's sleep patterns and their nap times. They are more likely to stay up and watch more TV than fall asleep. Studies have shown that watching TV is adding to the problem of children not sleeping, and is not a solution. If parents want their children to fall asleep faster then they should read them bedtime stories or try other remedies other than TV. Although children do watch a lot of TV in a day, it depends on what they watch more than how much they watch. If they are watching educational TV, then it doesn't really matter how much they watch. Of course, too much is always a bad thing, but watching programs that would negatively influence them, is also a problem. Children would be better off in the long run if they watched more educational TV than content with violence and sexual activity.
All these myths exists and all of them have some truths and fallacies. Today TV has become a major influence over children, but if parents choose the right shows for their children to watch, then it will not be a problem in the future.
Source:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20070222&slug=tvoped22
I have always used television as a method to induce sleep and not as a dining partner.
ReplyDeleteI always have the problem of staying up to finish an episode of my favorite TV show or just become so engrossed in a show that I forget to go to bed.
ReplyDeleteIn my family, we tend to turn the TV off during dinner time, but there are families that use it to start a conversation. They talk about a show that is on and discuss their favorite parts or characters. It's a starting point for further discussion about different issues that may be of interest.
This was an interesting read. I think that TV becomes an integrated part of one's daily schedule. It is a force of habit that is hard to remove once implemented. If children are indoctrinated early with TV, it is a concern that they will never be able to relinquish this habit.
ReplyDelete1) It does not make all children stupid. If you watch the right things on TV, then you will not get stupid. If you watch cartoon network and MTV, then your IQ might go down a few.
ReplyDelete2) Same like #1, if you watch violent things, you might get violent habits. I do not think that television makes you violent, though. I think that a kids lifestyle and the people he lives and hangs out with determine whether or not somebody is going to be violent.
3) Sitting around watching TV does not make you overweight. The choice is watching TV is a leisurely thing to do and its a form of relaxation. When you relax, you tend to get hungry or look for something to munch on. People munch a lot more and more and soon they become overweight.
4) I believe television does help you fall asleep.
If parents supervise their children's viewing habits, they can watch shows that will help them learn good and bad behaviors. Watching violence is just one of the many factors that cause violent behavior among children, it is by no means the only factor.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in saying that it is the choice in watching TV that causes obesity among children and adults.
I personally feel I stay up later when I watch TV and get less sleep. Other's may use it as a way to fall asleep like you said.
This is similar to TV=Dumb, it all depends on what you watch and how you watch it.
ReplyDelete