Persuasive Essay: What Is Television Really Doing to Children?

Deneke 1 What Television is Really Doing to Our Children by Betty As we already know, television has changed the world and how we view it. In today’s world, majority of what we see on the television ranges from violence to sexuality to profanity. There is no doubt that whatever is shown on the television can not only easily influence the behaviour of adults, but also the most vulnerable minds which is that of young children. Television can greatly affect the development of the brain in young children. Not only that, but the amount of time spent on the television can be detrimental to children’s physical health. Television has a negative impact on children that can affect them in numerous ways including mentally, emotionally, and physically. So the question is, what impact does the television have on our children’s mental health? The first two years of life are the most critical for the development of the brain. This means that young children’s brains are more open to learning and enriching influences. It also means that young children’s brain are much more vulnerable to developmental problems should their environment be negative or un-nurturing. Many studies on the effects of TV violence on children have found that children become immune or numb to the horror of violence and accept violence as a way to solve problems. This means that the viewing of television violence by children can cause aggressiveness which means more violent children who will grow into violent adults. Children are our number one imitators. Just ask any mother whose had her 3 year old daughter walk into the kitchen with bright red lipstick smudged all over her lips and eye shadow covering their entire eye. Why? Because that’s what she sees her mother do every single morning before she leaves for work. Point is, what children see, children do. Television can also affect some of the most important areas of