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Effects of Tv Watching on a Child's Development

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Effects of TV Watching on a Child's Development
8/9/2012
Effects of TV Watching on a Child's Development
Introduction
A child sitting in with a remote in front of a television set could watch anything from cartoons to programs with murders and sexual content that is not suitable for young minds. On the other hand, TV has its potential benefits that come from viewing some shows. The kids can get to learn positive aspects of social behavior such as sharing and cooperation, TV also opens up a new world for kids, giving them a chance to travel the globe, learn about different traditions and cultures and expose them to ideas they may never encounter in their own community. However, TV watching also has some negative health effects on a child's development such as on sexuality, aggressive behavior and academic performance. This paper seeks to carry out the following: discuss and analyze both the positive and negative effects of TV watching on a young child’s development, point out a few ways to counter the negative effects.
Positive Effects of TV Watching on a Child’s Development Children learn a lot about the world through television viewing. Teachers can use some instructive TV programs to promote reading instructions for their students. Some curriculum s in schools incorporate studying of movies, plays or other TV programs. In view of enabling children learning these subjects to develop critical thinking, teachers advise them to watch certain TV shows, dissect their plots and debate on the various ways and strategies used by the cast to solve problems (Van Evra 2008).
Some TV shows such as Sesame Street and Barney have pro-social effects on children. Studies carried out have shown that kids who have watched these programs have benefited in gaining such virtues as sharing and cooperation, understanding feelings, showing sympathy and kindness towards others.

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