A pioneer of radio broadcasting, Mary Somerville was once quoted as saying how television won’t last, more specifically saying that it was a “flash in the pan” ("Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions - Listverse", 2007). However, that was back in 1948, which was a lengthy sixty-seven years ago. Contrary to Somerville’s prediction, the art of television has proven to be able to stand the test of time, achieving this by spawning channels, networks, movies, and actors. This extremely brief list does not even begin to scratch the surface of the prolific world that television has created since its availability in the late 1920’s. It is actually thanks to this invention that individuals have been given careers, with these honest livings providing rather large sums of money for their pockets to hold. However, every good side has a bad one, and every yin has its yang. That being said, television has also initiated some very detrimental trends for the whole world to negatively indulge in. Television does have its benefits, but there also contains its drawbacks. While this could potentially hold true for people of any age, it can certainly hold true for children and toddlers, as well. Children being exposed to television or too much of it can lead to a collage of issues, including weight gain, aggressive behavior, and other bad choices.
When one thinks of a child’s activities, they usually tend to think of throwing a football around with some friends, playing catch, or having a game of hide-and-seek. While watching television also isn’t uncommon, it is generally supposed to squander in comparison to healthier activities such as the ones mentioned in the prior sentence. If a child either abuses his television privileges or ceases to engage in physical activities, he or she is very susceptible to undergo weight gain, whether it be small or widely noticeable. It is also scientifically proven that weight loss can lead to depression, and ultimately suicide. While the suicidal element of the equation is usually rather unlikely, it still adds a negative connotation to the predicament as a whole. A 2013 Saudi Arabian study determined that mothers that controlled how much television their children watched usually resulted in slimmer kids, while mothers who did not set any sort of boundaries tended to have rather larger children. While parental decisions are one thing to be at fault, the fact that some of these children are allowed to idle in front of a television for multiple consecutive hours is baffling as well.
Whether people like it or not, television still remains the dominant outlet for youth media. Watching it can “displace other activities, such as sports, reading, or even talking with others” (Windell, 2012). TV viewers may also find that they “spend less time with friends, get less sleep, and are less likely to participate in organized sports and other activities outside the home” (Windell, 2012). It is quite evident that television is taking its negative toll on the human race, primarily the young children. Too much television before the age of two can severely affect development of certain parts of the brain, which is something that all parents desperately wish to avoid.
Another sour aspect of television is that of stress. TV can make kids prone to quite a bit of it, as David Dutwin shows:
Realistic violence, the kind seen in news broadcasts and in
documentaries is far scarier and disturbing than fictional
violence. Based on research from the Kaiser Family Foundation,
nearly two-thirds of eleven to sixteen-year-olds watch the news
on a typical weeknight. While the percentage of younger children
is somewhat lower, still almost two-thirds of elementary school
children watch the news at least sometimes. Obviously, TV can
be educational and beneficial to both children and adults. But its
negative aspects, such as the amount of aggressive and violent
activity it displays daily, have concerned parents and educators. (Windell, 2012)
The stress that piles onto a kid’s life is already enough. School, adolescence and other things certainly don’t make it easy for a child to grow up, and the points that David Dutwin make just further elaborate on how what is on the television specifically can really scar a child, even if it is over something as mundane as the news.
While there are plenty of things that children are liable to go through while watching the television, violence just might be the worst thing about the entire epidemic. When it comes to hurting others, that is when things need to come to rest, and violence can sadly be caused due to watching television:
Negative violence is another real concern. After exposure to on-
Screen violence, children are more likely to physically attack
their peers and to feel more vulnerable to attack themselves. In
other words, exposing children to typical TV fare puts them at
risk, just as surely as playing the street, or riding in the car
without a seat belt (Spock & Parker, 1998).
However, after delivering this negative checklist of possible side effects to watching too much television, there also lies some benefits in doing the same. Dr. Spock believes that if a parent chooses to watch television with a child, then the chances increase of avoiding problems with a child farther down the road:
A good way to handle the unwholesome messages on TV is to
watch your child and help her to become a discriminating,
critical viewer. You can make comments on whether what
you’ve just seen together bears any resemblance to the real world.
If you’ve just seen a fight where someone gets punched and
merely shrugs it off, you can say, “That punch in the nose must
have really hurt. Don’t you think it did? Television isn’t at all
like real life, is it?” This also teaches empathy with the victim
of violence rather than identification with the aggressor (Spock & Parker, 1998).
Another wonderful thing about television is the cult followings that some of the shows and movies are capable of obtaining. When thinking of shows with these followings, one would think of Archer, That 70’s Show, or Doctor Who. What is wonderful about this is that children are allowed to escape one world that may be filled with bullies, bad parents and other hardships, and slip into a world full of countless hours of entertainment that make the heart swell with pride just thinking about it. Depending on the show or movie, it could even positively influence children to be kinder and more proper human beings.
Monitoring what a kid watches will almost guarantee that any amount of television they watch is a decent and healthy amount. According to a study, more parents of toddlers have put channel locks on certain programs, preventing the child from potentially wandering on to a network that may leave him or her scarred. Luckily, moms and dads everywhere have unified to make sure these shenanigans stop. On top of this, parents have almost made sitting with their kids to watch television a trend. As mentioned before, when a child sees something that they find rather peculiar, an adult can quickly intervene, and discuss with them the topic that had just unfolded. This way, there is not an odd touch of sorts, and the child is in turn not left dazed or confused.
It is widely believed not only in the United States, but across the world that there is no such thing as perfect. All good things also contain bad things as well, and vise versa. This being said, when televisions started entering homes for the first time, thus began the same moment that an epidemic of sorts would break out. Sure, of course there were many fascinating perks and neat things that a technological advancement such as the television would have to offer. However, it is imperative to also keep in mind the bad things that are also very capable of riding right along with the good things. It should be told that the major benefits and drawbacks of the television weren’t truly noted and discovered until a decade or two after the invention had surfaced inside suburban homes. Nevertheless, they were still there. To reiterate, television sure did have a large amount of good things as well as quite the bundle of bad things. TV shows to bond over would air for the first time, but at the same time, there is a child who starts to develop disabilities due to his decreased play time outside. While there is an actor making millions of dollars and gaining fame off of the invention of television, there are also kids being advertised preposterous Mcdonald’s commercials that soon lead them to overeat. Like sodas, fast food, and alcohol, watching television can be bad for someone if they use too much of it. However, channeling a child’s use of TV can not only make watching it safe, it can also make doing so fun. So if a child wishes to watch television, doing that is fine, but adult supervision is an idea almost too convenient to pass up.
References:
Spock, B. & Parker, S. (1998). Dr. Spock's baby and child care. New York: Pocket Books.
Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions - Listverse. (2007). Listverse. Retrieved 28 April 2016, from http://listverse.com/2007/10/28/top-30-failed-technology-predictions/
Dutwin D. (2012). Children and Stress. In J. Windell, The everything child psychology and development book (pp. 180 - 181). Avon, MA: Adams Media.
