English Writing 302
Research Paper
December 14, 2010
The Effect of TV Violence on Children The world is changing rapidly today. TV has become the leading source on entertainment and time consuming for many people. Parents are too busy trying to provide for their children and keep a roof over their head. Some parents can do all these things and still keep a close watch on their children, but others cannot. After a hard day’s work, from one job to another, it is very easy for parents to turn on the television and let the kids watch whatever while they take a nap or relax. Sometimes, parents just want to have some alone time and not be bothered by their children. Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping children’s behavior; unfortunately, the violence on TV today is causing a lack of impulse control, and aggressive behavior in children and this is why I think TV ratings should be reevaluated. Should TV Ratings be reevaluated? Yes, I think it should. The television is a very powerful tool in today’s world. It can be very helpful and harmful in different ways. There are lots of programs on TV that can help shape children’s lives to that of a positive one, but these programs are consider to be boring or having no action. Preschool kids can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade-schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. There is no doubt that TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer but despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental. A recent survey suggest that children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight, show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them. TV characters often display risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce racial