Does TV Make Children Violent
Does TV Make Children Violent? ... They tease him and make fun of him. ... This child was impressed by the way the man on TV took things into his own hands. ... Many people are not aware of the power of the media and the impact it has on our children. New Scientist magazine writer, Alison Motluk states that “Watching just one hour of television a day can make people more violent. And children aren’t the only ones affected, say researchers in New York – adults are as well” (Motluk, Alison). Considering that children are spending hours watching television, it is not surprising what they are learning. ... Children can not separate reality and make believe. ... The National Institute on Media and the Family says that “Children are affected at any age, but young children are most vulnerable to the effects of media violence (Bushman, 2001). Young children * don’t use asterisks or bullets—incorporate these elements into a sentence are more easily impressionable, * have a hard time establishing between fantasy and reality, * can not easily discern motives for violence, and * learn by observing and imitating” (National Institute on Media and the Family). The child, Johnny mentioned above doesn’t realize that the gun man on TV was shooting blanks and everything was just an act. ... Since aggression is a prominent feature of many shows, children who have a high degree of exposure to the media may exhibit a relatively high incidence of hostility themselves in imitation of the aggression they have witnessed. ... “Violent entertainment encourages kids to be violent, according to four major public health groups. [The effects of violent media] are measurable and long lasting, said the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry last week in a joint statement. ... The group say there is a “causal connection” between children’s behavior and violent TV shows, video games, movies and music” (Albiniak, Paige 31). Do TV producers not realize or not care what their shows are doing to the minds of young impressionable kids? ... This had to dramatically affect young children. ... TV producers must not consider the impact of their stories on people. ... In a United States Mass Media Survey, Sari Kokkola sums up cartoon violence with the following: “Cartoons attract younger and older children alike, and also some adults. However, the problem is that most cartoons are highly violent, and whatever seems to happen to characters in cartoons, they always get up and go on, as if they didn’t feel any real pain. ... This may distort children’s view of the real consequences of violent acts and may lead them to see violence as normal (Kokkola, Sari)”.