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Children and Television

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Effects of Television on the Youth

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Effects of Television on the Youth

Children and their television usage has become an extreme epidemic that has led to many other worldwide problems concerning our children like obesity, sleep patterns, behavior, and academic downfalls. Parents find themselves asking too often, how much television is too much. Being a parent myself I have been able to witness the affects television can have on young children and how serious it is. More now in the 21st century than ever before, parents seem to be gone longer hours and unattached when they are finally home; this might be part of the problem leading to the television epidemic. Television is affecting our children and the family structure as a whole. Parents and guardians need to start taking steps to making a change.
Brain Development As television becomes an uncontrollable issue as time passes, some researchers argue that it can effect brain development long term. Television viewing starts earlier than other forms of media often before the age of two (Burke, 2005). There is even a television channel just for babies. Television takes up time that could be used for physical and social interaction which is critical to a baby’s development. Studies have found that television watching before the age of three slightly hurt several measures of cognitive development later in life but between ages three and five it slightly improved reading skills ("University Of Michigan Health System", 2010). Some researchers have also argued that television helps Children's intellectual development. Researchers have found that children from age 2 to 7 that watched educational programs on TV had higher academic test scores 3 years later than those who didn't watch educational programs ("Science Daily", 2001). Television is becoming a big part in the academics in our children overall whether adults, parents, and caregiver choose to believe it or not. Outcomes of television usage can be critical to a child’s brain development whether good or bad it is all in the way it is monitored for these children.

Academics I have personally witnessed the impact television has on a child’s academic skills or role of importance in their lives. Television seems to be taking over on a child’s priority list. Homework is rushed and done without real thought because the television or video games are on the child’s mind when study’s need to be taken care of first. When this happens children are not learning the material because of the focus and when a child has to go back to the work to fix it because of the rush, anger and frustration arises. Once the anger is there focus is gone and time is taken up trying to calm the child down. TV replaces activities that help with school performance such as, reading, homework, pursuing hobbies for social interaction, and getting enough sleep ("University Of Michigan Health System", 2010). As a result to this school performance is not at the level it could or should be. On the other hand researchers say television can be entertaining and educational with a chance to explore the globe learning about different cultures and gaining exposure to other communities (Boyse, 2010). The amount and type of television is the deciding factor in this because television can expand children’s minds and can be used as a learning tool if used correctly. Family Life TV seems to be taking over many aspects of life with family interaction included. Parents are working harder and longer to make ends meet and children are sometimes put at an un-acceptable level of priority. Television is now acting as a baby sitter and parents are unaware of what their child is watching while in front of the television set for hours. When parents are uninvolved with their children and the television usage the parents also seem to be uninvolved with the child emotionally. This creates a bigger problem that roots from television use. Along with the un-involvement with parents the child also becomes un-involved with siblings and the family as a whole is un-attached from each other. It is hard to believe that something like television can cause so many downfalls in everyday life. Some would argue that television brings family’s closer and for some it might, with the busyness of everyday life that might be the only chance families are able to come together as one and spend time with each other. Health When talking about family life being disrupted from television usage, the point that comes to mind is a child’s health as well. Working parents are tired and the thought of having to come home to make a home cooked meal is becoming a burden, so fast food and going out to eat is becoming another big issue. Children become accustomed to getting their food from a burger joint or elsewhere outside the home and coming home with it and straight into their room in front of the television to eat it. This kind of behavior is causing childhood obesity all over the world. Families are no longer sitting around a table to eat a healthy home cooked meal and talking together about the current day events. It has become easier to go sit in front of a television set and eat and head to bed to have all of this sit with you through the night without any active behavior while affecting the sleep schedules. Behavior Most of the food that comes from fast food has high levels of fat, cholesterol, and sugars. Parents do not understand why the children are restless, hyper and angry during the day and before bed. This food is not fueling the children with the nutrition they need which can affect behavior, sleep patterns, and ultimately their whole attitude towards life. On the contrary television can be used to give a child a break from everything and get that alone time they might need. Time restrictions might be a good idea for some children to be able to get down-time as well as keep it at a low priority. Again, it is hard to believe that all of these things can come from television viewing by children. The "University Of Michigan Health System" (2010) website shows that watching more TV in childhood increases the chance of dropping out of school later in life and decreased the chances of college degrees in the future. This does not mean that every child who watches television is going to drop out of school. Everyone is different, the mind acts as it wants and portrays things in different ways for different individuals. What Actions Can Be Taken For Change Parents, caregivers, and researchers have seen that television has intense effects on young children physically, mentally, and on their future. These affects can sometimes result in respectable behaviors but can also be the result of many down falls in life. It all comes down to the amount of television and the type of television these children are being exposed to. Parents need to be involved in what their children are watching and teach children to be media literate. "University Of Michigan Health System" (2010) has said, "Watch with your kids, so if the programming turns violent, you can discuss what happened and put it in context you want your kids to learn” (8). When the parent or guardians are with the child while viewing is being taken place the adult can mold the thoughts of a child and therefore control what is being watched. A time limit for television usage can make great changes in a child’s attitude, thoughts, and priority’s. Children learn from the older generation. At a young age parents can almost mold them into what they want them to be. If a child is having problems from television usage maybe we should be looking at ourselves to why this is happening and how we can change it. A few small changes in rules and putting it at a higher priority to be involved in this issue can make a world of change for young children.

References
Boyse, K. (2010). University of Michigan Health System. Retrieved from: http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm
Science Daily. (2001). Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases /2001/09/010924061623.htm

Burke, M. G. (2005, spring). Reasons to Turn Off the Screen. Encounter.

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