Effects of Television Violence on Children
The Effects of Television Violence on Children Television violence is increasing and often implicated as a factor in the increase of aggression and violence in children. Television is the most important medium in the lives of children. Ninety-eight percent of all American households have at least one television set and fifty-four percent of children have a television set in their bedrooms. Exposure to television violence has long lasting effects on children’s health and welfare. These effects are largely negative. Television violence encourages aggressive behavior, makes children fearful of the world, desensitizes them to the pain of others, and teaches them that conflicts are resolved by violence (Media 1). Media violence is continually on the rise. Violence on television has become so prevalent; children are exposed to 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on television by the completion of elementary school (Silverstein 34). According to the Adult in Children Together Against Violence, children watch 4,000 hours of television before entering kindergarten. Studies prove that twenty to twenty-five acts of violence per hour are shown on Saturday morning television programs, which is intended for children. The average child gets more one on one communication from television than from their parents. During childhood, children average more time in front of the television than in the classroom. Although television has positive effects on children, the attention, are usually emphasized on the negative ones (Cagney and Grossman 4). There are many ways to depict violence on television. For example, the violence may occur on screen and shown graphically or may occur off screen but be clearly implied. There are differences in the outcomes of violence, some depictions focus on the pain and suffering of victims, whereas others avoid showing the negative consequences of physical aggression.