Television creates entertainment for children. There are different kid's channels with a lot of entertainment; moreover, the content available at this channel is suitable for the kids, making them appropriate for kids to watch. The channels avail colorful visuals and creative content that entertains, engages, and increases the kids' creativity. Moreover, from the entertainment that television provides, kids can develop a passion for something they may choose to pursue in the near future ("Television Is Good for Children" 220).
Television exposes kids to different cultures and languages. Due to the presence of programs from various parts of the world, the children learn about other cultures and languages spoken worldwide, thus enhancing their understanding of the world. Moreover, their knowledge of culture enables them to learn about different communities' lifestyles and traditions worldwide. Therefore, this increases children's knowledge of world issues, which is essential in their development (Harlap, 30).
Television programs act as inspiration for the children, which aids in the development of a child. Different programs have different motivational themes, and as the kids grow up watching these programs, they are extra motivated to try some new things. For example, programs about comedy motivate young kids to pursue comedy as they grow up. Furthermore, as the kids are watching comedy clips in these programs, they can learn the necessary steps needed to excel in the field. Moreover, after creating inspirations among children, the program's help unlocks the hidden potential in individuals in that the kids realize the things they like doing.
Negative Impacts of Television on Children
Despite the enormous positive contribution that television brings to children, it also affects kids negatively. Being glued to the TV limits children's physical activities. Physical activities play a significant role in enhancing a healthy body and preventing certain diseases such as stroke and preventing obesity. Kid's addiction to television puts them at substantial risk of having certain conditions related to the lack of physical exercise. Moreover, spending most of the time on TV and lacking physical access can cause eye problems to the kids. The research found that the time that kids spend on television is directly proportionate to kids' obesity. Therefore, parents should encourage their kids' physical activities, thus minimizing their time on television (Merrill and Liang, 7).
Longer television watch among kids lowers brain development and affects behavior. The early childhood behavior of children plays a significant role in shaping up the future of individuals. When children spend most of their time on television, their everyday life is interrupted as they lose contact with reality, affecting their brain development. Cognitive processes such as reading, writing, and having a sharp memory tend to be affected; thus, the kid's level of understanding in class reduces, affecting their overall grades.
Television watch exposes children to vices. Since most of the children are left home alone, their parents cannot monitor what they watch. Therefore, kids get exposure to unsuitable content. For example, content related to drugs and sex, thus affecting their morals. After watching, the content the kids are tempted to practice what they have seen hence distorting their naïve and innocent minds. Moreover, content that has superheroes makes children envision themselves as superheroes thus trying what they see in real life which causes injuries to their bodies and creates the notion that violence is a possible way of solving existing problems. Finally, television content exposes children to violent and hostile behaviors, which affects their social development (Merrill and Liang, 7).
Some television content gives children a biased view of the world. Scenes in movies and televisions programs where individuals shoot at each other give children ten notion that this place is not safe. Moreover, animation programs tend to show events that purvey the reality, thus clarifying to the children that it's never wrong to get involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking and other malpractices.
Television causes consumerism among children. Consumerism is the art of advertising a brand on various media platforms for marketing purposes. The television broadcasts many products during the periodical breaks. The advertisements and commercials may encourage kids to purchase and consume the products they see on television without considering if they are healthy. In addition, parents end up on the wrong side of consumerism as the situation forces them to buy products such as ice creams and other flavored drinks for the kids.
How Parents should curb the Negative Effects of Television on their Children
Therefore, parents should regulate the content that their children watch to avoid being on the wrong side of television's implication on children and control the content that the kid's watch involves subscribing to various channels such as the kids' sports channels will only be watching sporting related events. By doing this, parents are sure that their kids will not be exposed to unwanted content at any time ("Television Is Good for Children" 230).
In addition, television stations should ensure that they move sensitive programs to certain hours where children cannot have a chance to view them. All media houses should lay a strategy that involves availing programs with clean content during the day. At these hours, the kids are watching the television, thus regulating the content they watch during the hours of the day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, televisions are both an asset and a liability to the growth and development of kids, therefore for it to be an asset for the kid, then parents and other stakeholders must play a significant role in regulating the content they children consume. Personally, televisions aids in the growth and development of children as it enables children to identify their interests and moldings them into something that will help them in the near future.
Works Cited
Harlap, Itay. "Bad television/good (post)television." Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, 2016, pp. 23-40.
Merrill, Renae A., and Xinya Liang. "Associations between adolescent media use, mental health, and risky sexual behaviors." Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 103, 2019, pp. 1-9.
"Television Is Good for Children." Why Viewers Watch: A Reappraisal of Television's Effects, pp. 212-238.