...The effect of television on a childs attention span Samantha Martin COM/156 May 6, 2012 Jodi Galvan Axia College of the University of Phoenix The effect of television on a childs attention span In watching my 13-year-old daughter, and constantly trying to get her to complete the simplest of tasks such as loading the dishwasher. I have often wondered if watching too much television has anything to do with her inability to complete the smallest of tasks. Some people think that children who watch too much television are likely to develop ADHD; however, it may be the opposite. The child who is prone to Attention problems may be drawn to watching television to sooth their minds (New Scientist, 2007). Is it possible that children too watch much television? According to Eric Landhuis of the University of Otago, children should not watch more than two hours of television per day (New Scientist, 2007). More than two hours of television can lead to attention problems in adolescence. Children who watched more than three hours of television had above average symptoms of ADHD (New Scientist, 2007). Rapid scene changes can over stimulate the brain. Recently their was a controversial news story on how the rapid scene changes in the cartoon Sponge Bob Square pants on the network Nickelodeon over stimulated the young brain of children under the age of six. The over stimulation can make real life seem boring. Landhuis goes on to say, “children who watch...
Words: 1511 - Pages: 7
...Children and Television COM 156 July 5, 2015 Children and Television How spongy is the mind of a child? How much does sitting in-front of the television effect a child throughout the years? Children are very moldable creatures and they have the mind of a sponge. They say and act the way they are taught or see and pick up on all the different things they are always around. Television has progressively gotten worse throughout the years, and children have changed the way they act to mimic the television. Children and television are things that should not be placed together for long periods of time since the behavioral influence and health effects are ever-lasting. The amount of time that children have spent in-front of the television has increased dramatically. If not in school there is a good chance that you could catch a child in front of the television versus being outside and if they are not in front of a television, they could most likely be caught with some sort of electronic in their hands. ‘Out of 1,000 parents, one out of four children under the age of two had a television in their rooms and forty-three percent watch television on a daily basis.’ (Odland, J. 2008). That means that not only are they watching television more than what they did ten years ago, they are also starting at a younger age. Children these days are more tech savvy than children were ten years ago, they can use remotes and different electronics. ‘The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends...
Words: 1168 - Pages: 5
...Effects of Television on the Youth COM/172 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...
Words: 1395 - Pages: 6
...English 240 Television Viewing and Child Development. Introduction There are hundreds of television channels offered by cable companies. What is your child watching? A child sitting with a remote in front of a television could be watching anything! Are you aware of the potential effects that television can have on a child’s development? Television has the potential to be dangerous in a child’s development. In what ways can Television be detrimental to a child and their development? They could be watching cartoons, or programs showing content that is not suitable for young minds. Watching television can have negative health effects on a child's development. Some of these negative effects are dealing with sexuality, aggressive behavior, and academic performance. Not all television viewing is negative. Television can be beneficial to a child’s development as long as it is content appropriate. By the end of this essay I will discuss some ways to help reduce the possible negative effects of Television on a child, and explain in what ways television can be beneficial to a child’s development. Whether you are a parent, aunt, uncle, or just as a positive role model, your main priority is being the best influence possible. Therefore, if there are ways to help a child’s development in a positive manor wouldn’t you like to know? Positive effects of watching television on a Child’s Development. Television can be utilized to help enhance a child’s development in many...
Words: 1336 - Pages: 6
...Television and Children Experts suggest that children should be limited to watching only two hours of television per day to ensure that they get plenty of exercise and family time. Some experts have found that childhood television viewing can cause obesity, high cholesterol levels and smoking in adulthood. I have a four-year-old that loves watching television. If he watches television for an extended period or is too involved with a show he sometimes has accidents and does not want to interact with family. There are also times that my son has behaviors when he cannot watch a certain cartoon. The less time spent in front of the television gives more time for family time. There are some benefits that come from television, but television also has its faults. A child’s health may suffer years down the line from watching an excessive amount of television. Dr. Aric Sigman researched and commented “excessive television watching is linked to difficulty in sleeping, behavioral problems and increased obesity in children.” I can relate to the research of Dr. Sigman; my son already has difficulties with going to sleep at night and has behavioral issues when he does not get to watch what he wants. At night, he wants to watch television until he falls asleep, but if I let him, he will not fall asleep until three hours past his bed time which is at 8:00 pm. Children can begin to have learning problems as they get older. I have seen where parents put their child in front of the television...
Words: 1472 - Pages: 6
...ENG 120 Children and television: A lethal combination? Many people believe that television can be good for young children and it helps to develop their mind before they attend school. While this may be true, it may also has an overall negative effect on children. Television can be lethal because it teaches children and culturally structures their mind. If a program on television shows a person eating spaghetti with his hands and a child watches this, then the child with think that it can be ok to eat spaghetti with his/her hands. In the developing stage of a child’s mind, everything that is being exposed to them is going to have a profound effect on them. We could say that only certain programs are carrying positive messages whereas the negative impact of television may be dominant. Overall, the television exposes the child to violent/deviant behavior, children build some of their morals and ethics from television and television also causes sleeping defects, obesity and other illnesses. Television can promote certain behaviors to children at young ages, for example if a child is exposed to violence on television, then that program is promoting aggressive behavior and the child can then begin to act more aggressively. Many researches show how television programs negatively affect children and their behavior from a process called imitation. Moreover, children, who are exposed to television programs showing violence, are more or less likely to affect their...
Words: 2835 - Pages: 12
...Internet and TV: How much is too much for young children? Na’Shaye Lewis English 112 How much TV and gaming, educational or not, is too much for young children? In the USA, 47% of children ages 2 to 18 years old have a television set in their bedrooms. On a typical day, they spend an average of 5.5 hours using media; including television, computer games, and the Internet. (Kaiser Family Foundation Newsletter, 2001) While there are a lot of different television and online educational sites that can be beneficial to a child’s education, parents should often monitor or regulate the amount of TV and Internet young children watch because it inhibits social development, shortens children’s attention span, and sometimes it is not always intellectually stimulating. Social development can simply be explained as improving the well-being of an individual in society so they can reach their full potential. A society success is directly linked to the well-being of each individual citizen. With so many things on TV that can be negative there are so many shows and internet games that get your children up and physically active and wanting to learn. Shows such as Yo Gabba Gabba which teaches children how to eat healthy, get up and move around, how to help take care of the planet you live on and how to care about what others may feel. Ni Hoa Kai-Lan teaches the importance of social development as well as discovering new ways to recognize and deal with their emotions. As it is said children...
Words: 1930 - Pages: 8
...the most. Once they are identified, it may be changed and put the child back in the right path. Bullying In the past decades, bullying seems like a harmless activity that have been that been happening in schools. But in pupils and student who are in 6th to 10th grade 13 percent of had been reported to have the present oh bullying, and 10 percent are reported to be victims. Getting to be the victim in bullying plays a bad part on them, bad performance at school, self-esteem, get low grades, being absent, trauma, etc. Extracurricular activities Other pupils may have other interest. For example, playing basketball, soccer, volleyball, writing on school paper etc., but in on the other hand, your interest may play a vital role in school. You can represent your school by doing that thing the bet way you can. But all things have limitation, while you’re in the game you don’t know what’s happening in your classroom or what lesson did they thought. Yes, you can earn points but that’s not enough to get you through the entire school year you must also learn and put things in the right place. Parental involvement Pupils can perform better when their parents are involved in their activities at school. They are there to teach you the right answer but pupils should also learn to defend their especially when it comes to study. Parents can show other ways to show to the child they are concern like joining PTA meeting and encouraging the when...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...is the high definition televisions and video game systems that allow viewers to see details and intricate designs crystal clear. Also the high demand of cellular phone productivity has increased the security and communication of cell phone users everywhere across the globe. Though the effects aforementioned are incredible, a child does not view these technological advances the same way as an adult may. Therefore, the effects of technology on children tend to be more negative mainly because of excessive use. Television has become a necessity in every household and can be found in almost every room of the house. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that seven in ten children in the District of Columbia have a television set in their room, and time spent watching television has increased by an hour and a half within the last five years (Lamontagne, Paloski, and Singh, 2010). Television viewing has increased because programs are designed to immediately grab anyone’s attention. If the program fails to do so, the viewer just simply changes the channel. As for a child, the child can subconsciously relate the same concept of changing the channel and quickly tuning out what is not immediately attention grabbing to everyday routines like conversations. Though television causes short attention spans, there are programs that may help a young child learn quicker like the show Sesame Street. That does not mean a child should watch countless hours of television; a limit should be in...
Words: 1456 - Pages: 6
...PAPER OUTLINE “TV Violence” I. Introduction II. Body 1 According to American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Many people believe that television violence has a negative effect on society because it promotes violence. This statement is true. Children in America watch about four hours of television a day. Television can be a major influence in behavioral growth and forming values. Sadly, more than 60 percent of television programs contain violence. Studies show that both children and teens are affected by this in a negative way. III. Body 2 According to New York Times When a child or teen watches a violent program they become more aggressive. Seeing repetitive violence without a consequence lets children think they too can get away with violent acts. Less that 5 percent of violent programs show a consequence of using violence. A 9-year-old boy surrendered after the robbery of a midtown Manhattan bank. His lawyer claimed his crime was influenced by crime programs on television and that he was only playing when he pointed a toy gun at a teller at the bank and demanded money. IV. Body 3 According to turn off your TV by Ron Kaufman “What a child learns about violence, a child learns for life,” says ACT Against Violence. When a toddler watches television they don’t know the difference between fantasy and reality. This causes the toddler to think what he or she is watching is okay and happens all the time. As children get older from ages 6 to 11 their views on...
Words: 506 - Pages: 3
...How do I think television affects your psychology or that of someone I know? James Sudler August 15, 2012 Psychology 1010 How do I think television affects your psychology or that of someone I know? Television as we know it has brought much attention to society, regardless to it being positive or negative. Honestly, in my opinion, the negative attention that television brings can be explained with psychology. But on the positive side of things, television and psychology can show and explained how people response to different situations. As we all know, psychology plays a very big role in our cognitive thinking. We are taught how to live life through experiences or someone’s opinion. In this paper I will show you how television and psychology plays big with children and adults. When a child is watching cartoons, all children think it is okay to hit another individual with a bat, a rock, or any type of weapon, until that child is told that it is not okay. Psychology it affects a child’s thinking, when they are not properly being trained to do the right thing. When children sit in front of a television for more than six to eight hours, we must ask ourselves who are teaching our children? Certain shows teach children things that are not true. For examples, the cartoon, Popeye the Sailor, teaches children if they eat a can of spinach, instantly he/she will become strong just like he does and can beat his opponent without breaking a sweat. Now we simply know this...
Words: 880 - Pages: 4
...greet us on our alarm clocks or on the radio in our vehicles, see it on billboards outside or in magazines while waiting for the doctor, and view it using computers, playing gaming devices or when watching television. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents school going children to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality educational television content per day, and that children under the age of two not be exposed to any type of television or screen time at all (Anderson & Pempek, 2005; AAP, 1995; Anderson et al., 2003). These limits are prescribed to allow for children’s developing minds to use imagination, explore the world and increase physical activity and interaction with family or friends (Funk, Brouwer, Curtiss & McBroom, 2009). However, parents and other adults seem to be taking this recommendation lightly. One of the largest national studies of preschool-aged media effects, the Kaiser Family Report (2003), showed that the use of television among the children keeps rising (Rideout, Vandewater & Wartella, 2003). The report finds that school going children are exposed to much more screen time than recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. “The vast majority of children are growing up in homes where the television is at a near-constant presence (p. 4).” “77% of children age six and under watch TV every...
Words: 7648 - Pages: 31
...popular media as, “the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines that reach or influence people widely.” The majority of households spend the majority of their time watching television shows. Our young children look up to the young actors or individuals that they watch on television through TV shows or music videos or even ones they read about in magazines. And there are a lot of women that look up to the women that play some of the parts on screen. The popular media plays a significant part of the problems that a lot of regular households go through. Everyone wants to be like who they watch on television. Is it wrong to allow our children to watch these shows? Are people losing the ability to raise decent, responsible and respectful children today? Are the adult’s that allow this decent and responsible people? This paper will raise issues about popular media today and display the effects of it on our generation. You will see how the popular media that kids are watching today influence them to have low self-esteem, a lack of discipline and consequences, ability to make grown up decisions, have no or little respect for adults and basically raise themselves. You have TV shows that alter the way that we raise our children. Kids learn a lot of what they see on the T.V. screen. They learn about sex, drugs, how to be disrespectful and disobedient. You cannot turn on the television without seeing half naked women washing their hair or rubbing...
Words: 2544 - Pages: 11
...How Too Much Television Can Harm a Child’s Development For the past 20 years, studies have linked excessive TV viewing to childhood obesity, poor brain development, lagging educational performance, sleep disturbances and diminished physical activity (Is Television Harmful For Children?, 2010). Children are very impressionable, so sitting in front of a television for long periods of time can have a negative outcome. While a child’s brain is being molded, they are more susceptible to act out learned behaviors from their favorite television shows. Parents have the responsibility to mold their child’s brain and not have it rot out from too much exposure to television. Children's television viewing should be limited to less than 2 hours a day in order to avoid too many negative effects. Violence is something that is hard for children to avoid on television today. Children are at risk of viewing this violence because they are watching more than the suggested amount of television. When children see this violence, they think it is cool and fun, so they want to try it out. They are taught that the images of violence are amusing. Many children who view too much violence can end up committing crimes. According to How TV Affects Your Child (2011), “TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.” (Violence) When children see their favorite character bopping someone on the head to get what they want, it sends...
Words: 1393 - Pages: 6
...Television and Child Development By Gabriel Pitaro For my book report I chose the book Television and Child Development by Judith Van Evra. In her writing Van Evra delves into the increased presence of media and technology amongst children in todays society and the effects it is having on their development. She breaks it down into four different categories, physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Throughout the book Evra explores the ways in which media actually effects children as well as the other variables that come into play in the development of a child. By doing all of this research her goal is to find ways to maximize technology’s potential for improving development while neutralizing the negative effects as much as possible. Her research spans well beyond television, observing the effects video games, DVDs, cell phones and the Internet have on children as well. Overall I found it to be a very compelling book that had many strong connections to the material we learned in this course. Evra begins her book by reviewing previous findings and theories about psychology and child development. Many of the theories she covers are ones that we have also reviewed in our course. She discusses Bandura and his theory of model behavior as it applies to television. Bandura conducted a study where two groups of children would watch an adult act aggressively towards a doll before being given a chance to interact with the doll themselves. For one group, the adult was...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
