 |
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
Safety Does TV violence hurt my kids?
The kids are safe in the family room watching TV Well, maybe not. This Saturday morning, while your children are watching TV in the safety of your home, they are witnessing more than 20 violent acts per hour. The average young person will view an estimated 200,000 acts of violence on TV by the time they are 18 years old. The verdict is in. TV violence is not good for children. For many years, TV producers could claim the research wasn't clear. But since 1955 there have been over 1,000 studies, reports and commentaries published concerning the effects of TV on children. There is strong consensus; TV violence does make children act more aggressively.
These quotes provide important conclusions: "Violence on TV does lead to aggressive behavior by children and teenagers." (National Institute of Mental Health, 1982.) "Heavy exposure to television violence is one of the causes of aggressive behavior, crime and violence in our society." (L.Eron, 1992, testimony to the U.S. Senate.) While TV violence may not turn your child into a serial killer, research clearly shows children who watch violence on TV are affected in ways most parents do not like. Studies show these children are more likely to fight with classmates, be willing to hurt another child, be less willing to share toys, be more likely to argue, push or break toys. Unfortunately, kids don't grow out of this behavior. Studies show boys who prefer watching violent TV programs at age 8 are more aggressive at age 18. Other studies show links between heavy violent TV watching and criminal behavior later in life. Besides making kids more aggressive, violence on TV can make children afraid, and believe the world is a dangerous and bad place. After watching so many murders, fights and gun shots, children become less sensitive to violence, more willing to stand by while others act in violent ways, and more likely to see violence as a good way to solve problems. After all, the heroes on TV beat up the bad guys and save the day. One emergency room nurse reported that a young gun-shot victim seemed surprised at how much getting shot hurt. Children believe the violence they see on TV is realistic, and there aren't bad consequences. What should parents do? • Recognize media violence is harmful to your children. We all watch TV and think it hasn't hurt us, yet we are learning that watching repeated violence is BAD for kids. • Limit the number of hours your kids watch TV to no more than two hours a day. • Turn off violent programs. It's easy, just push the button. • Watch TV with your children. Explain the difference between pretend and real. Talk about what you think would be a better way to handle a situation. • Encourage other activities instead of TV • Set a good TV example yourself. You may need to change your TV habits for the good of your children.
If you would like to learn more about the effects of violence on TV check out these websites: Rebecca Douglas is an extension educator, Family Life, at the Springfield Extension Center 14 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING FEBRUARY 2000 |
|
|
