Television is a Bad Influence on Today's Youth

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Technology is a great accessory that millions of people use regularly in everyday life. Television could be the most-used technological commodity of all. Hundreds of millions of people now have at least one television in their home. In addition, there continue to be more TVs per home than people in the U.S.- in 2014 the average U.S. home had only 2.5 people vs 2.86 television sets. Although television seems like a great thing to have, it has its drawbacks. Television can negatively effect people, particularly kids. Numerous studies and surveys have proven just how much television can be a bad influence on our youth. Many kids become violent, have severe psychological effects, and become very unhealthy. Once thought as a great invention, television has become a major problem.

Violence is a major part of today’s television shows and movies that are targeted towards our youth. Violence is increasing regularly in the television shows kids are watching: “ Fifty-seven percent of television programs contain psychologically harmful violence” (Kaufman 1). Through heavy television watching, children can encounter many violent shows that are not suited for them. This can affect a child in many ways. Author John Leo explains that “Children who are heavy viewers of television are more aggressive”(Leo 29). Children, especially young, are not ready to distinguish right from wrong. When their favorite action hero is beating up a bad guy, kids think that it is all right. At a young age a kid will envy a character on television and will have a preconceived idea that whatever the character does is acceptable. Children will also take what they see on television and try to use it in their everyday life. For example, “Children under the age of seven or eight are more likely to imitate the fighting moves they see on the screen than older kids” (“Television” 1). Kids could go along life thinking it is OK with fighting to solve problems. Violence on television can be harmful in more ways than one. On the one hand, kids will imitate what they watch, but kids are also very easily brainwashed. Children may get a false impression of what the world is really like. If all the children see is violence on television, then, of course, the children will be a little apprehensive about the world. All of the violence could also m...

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...e lack of exercise shows for children. If children saw shows that made exercising fun, then children would consequently start having fun and exercise along. Even shows that are educational can have a bad affect on kids. The fact is that the children are still not being active while watching the shows.

It is clear that television has become the root of many problems that plague our youth in today’s society. The children of today are watching television shows that justify violence, psychological harmful material, and unhealthy habits. Parents must recognize this and simply turn off the television. No television would be the best thing for children because they should be outside playing and becoming healthy adults.

Bibliography:

“How TV Affects Your Child.” How TV Affects Your Child. 2013

Kaufman, Ron. “How Television Images Affect Children.” Kill Your Television-Children and TV. 27 Oct 2012

Leo, John, et al. Media Violence. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2009.

Poniewozik, James. “The Vast Whiteland.” Time 2011: Page 70.

“Television can affect children’s health in a number of ways.” Ontario Medical Association : How Does TV Affect Children’s Health?. ( 2012)

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