Television, Violence and Kids
Some Things You Should Know About Media Violence and Media Literacy:
Media violence can lead to aggressive behavior in children. Over 1,000 studies confirm this link. By age 18, the average American child will have viewed about 200,000 acts of violence on television alone. The level of violence during Saturday morning cartoons is higher than the level of violence during prime time. There are 3 to 5 violent acts per hour in prime time, versus 20 to 25 acts per hour on Saturday morning. Media violence is especially damaging to young children (under age 8) because they cannot easily tell the difference between real life and fantasy. Violent images on television and in movies may seem real to young children. They can be
traumatized by viewing these images. Media violence affects children by:
- Increasing aggressiveness and anti-social behavior.
- Increasing their fear of becoming victims.
- Making them less sensitive to violence and to victims of violence.
- Increasing their appetite for more violence in entertainment and in real life
Media violence often fails to show the consequences of violence. This is especially true of cartoons, toy commercials and music videos. As a result, children learn that there are few if any repercussions for committing violent acts. When children watch television, they are physically passive, yet mentally alert. Their minds are ripe for absorbing ideas, information, and values. Television can be a powerful teacher, so adults must make sure the lessons children learn are good ones.
From the National Association for
the Education of Young Children:
Other effects of too much TV violence on young children include:
- When children see characters on TV or in movies triumph by using physical force, they begin to see violence as an acceptable way of resolving conflict.
- As a result, children use physical or verbal abuse toward others on the playground or at school.
- Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others.
- Viewing violence encourages children to see other people as "enemies" rather than as individuals with thoughts and feelings like themselves. Children who cannot put themselves in others' shoes may become less desirable playmates.
- Children may become more fearful of the world around them. Children's naturally anxieties may become magnified by watching TV and movies in which the world is a dangerous place where violence triumphs over peace.
- Children who view too much media violence may have more difficulty getting along with others. If children do not see acts of kindness between other children and adults, they are less likely to be kind, or resolve their conflicts peacefully. This makes other children less eager to play with them.
- Violent TV programs do not teach good language skills. Young children tend to repeat things they hear as they begin to develop their own vocabularies.
- Violent movies and TV programs show children a very limited way to talk about their problems_and to solve them.
- Viewing TV violence limits children's imaginations. Make-believe play helps children learn about themselves and the world around them. Yet, many toys marketed today are associated with violent programs or movies. Children tend to act out scenes they have already viewed with the very same characters. If toys only encourage children to imitate scenes of violence, what kind of benefits are they getting from play?
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