Violent Child Behavior, Is Television to Blame?.
Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is violent therefore negatively shaping the attitudes of youngsters. Many studies today show the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers. These studies found that they may become immune to the horror of violence, gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems, imitate the violence they observe on television and identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers. American children watch an average of three to fours hours of television daily. Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes a greater aggressiveness among them. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows, in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later. Young people can also be affected when their family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence. Violence and television have gone too far and the adoption of the V-chip, which is a blocking device to rid violence from television, should be supported. Also the U.S.A should adopt a policy that inserts a V-chip in every television so young people grow up without the negative influence from television. .
Television has been around for half a century and its first appearance occurred at a World Fair in 1939. The regular broadcasting didn't appear until 1940. By the early 1950's violence was already a concern as parents, teachers and scientists complained about the amount shown on TV. After the turn of century we are still dealing with violence on television, and today the problem is escalating. Violence in television can influence people in the wrong way causing children to become violent.