APA

Effect of Television on American Culture

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Essay outline

Introduction

Thesis statement

Effects of TV on American culture

Behavioral changes brought by TV viewing

Effects of TV on health

Effects of TV on moral development

Behavioral changes brought by advertisements

Impacts of advertisements on American culture

Introduction

Television viewing has both positive and negative effects on the viewers and the largest number of victims is the young people. Developed nations face the greatest challenge in controlling the effects of culture erosion brought by media and television viewing. American children are exposed to television right from their tender age and this brings a great effect on the mental development of the child. Advertisements have also been found to impact the behavioral development of children especially those exposed to television viewing in tender ages. Negative behaviors like violence and drug abuse have been attributed to advertisements which promote such behaviors among the youth.

Thesis statement

Television viewing has great effects on the American culture especially the youth who spend most of their time glued to the television sets. Some of the advertisements promote evil deeds like violence among the youth and this disrupts peace in the society. Some of the scenes on television are violent and this may make the children aggressive specially the boys. Children try to imitate what they see on television and this may trigger violence and negative competition for dominance (Bogart, 1972). This affects the way of life of the people which touches on the culture of the American people.

People will always try to copy what they view on television and this triggers unhealthy competition especially among the youth. Young people even engage in unhealthy practices in order to get to the levels they want. Some of the advertisements on television are very enticing driving people to do some things that may harm their health. A young person may want to imitate a movie actor by overworking his body to match that of a movie star (Kline, 1993). This is sometimes unhealthy and may end up in body complications thereby harming the young person.

Most pre-school kids do not comprehend the distinction between a program developed to amuse and a commercial developed to sell. A number of studies have recorded that kids under the age of eight years are developmentally incapable to comprehend the distinction between advertising and regular development. A substantial number of kids begin viewing television at an earlier age and in larger amounts than what experts recommend. Evidence suggests that television’s impact on kids and adolescents is related to how plenty of your energy and effort they spend viewing television (Bogart, 2005).

In conclusion, the effect of the media on the psychosocial growth of kids is highly effective. The media have a great effect on culture and the lives of people especially in the developed nations. The objectives of this announcement are to find the valuable and adverse reactions of media on a child's psychological and health, and to identify how physicians can guidance patients and their loved ones and improve the healthy use of the media in their places.

References

Bogart, L. (2005). Over the Edge: How the Pursuit of Youth by Marketers and the Media has Changed American Culture. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee.

Bogart, L. (1972). The Age of Television; a Study of Viewing Habits and the Impact of Television on American Life. New York: F. Ungar Pub. Co.

Kline, S. (1993). Out of the Garden: Toys, TV, and Children's Culture in the Age of Marketing. London: Verso.