Research Paper on "Effects of TV Violence on Children"

Research Paper 7 pages (2062 words) Sources: 7

[EXCERPT] . . . .

TV Violence on Children

The Media has had a very controversial role in the last decades, given that society is unable to determine whether it brings more benefits than troubles. Surely, the role of media is a very important one when considering that it is responsible for providing the general public with a lot of information. However, it is difficult for one to filter the good information from the one that is either false or of no use. Children are among the groups less capable to filter the information they see on TV, thus it is likely that a large number of children who watch TV violence on a daily basis will be negatively influenced by this activity in the future.

When hearing about the media and the effects it has on the masses most people relate to TV violence. "The television causes aggression hypothesis" (Moeller, 2001, p. 126) is well-known, with a large number of individuals considering that it stands as the motive for a series of crimes. Consequent to being exposed to TV violence for large periods of time, children slowly but surely detach themselves from the real world and reach a position where they are no longer able to tell the difference between what they see on TV and what happens in reality.

It is almost impossible to believe that it is a coincidence that crime rates have gone up concomitant with the introduction of television in certain areas from around the world. Not only is aggressiveness believed to be induced by TV but the device is also considered to influence people to refrain from taking part in open-air activities, social events, and sports-related entertainment.

"In addition to the observed displacement of normal childhood activities by television and the increased violence after introduction of television into communities, studies that eliminate or reduce exposure to television result in better classroom performance, less aggressive playground behavior, and increased family activities" (Hoffman, 1996, p. 64).

Depending on several factors, children can understand TV programs differently, as their age, their education, and their families can contribute to their comprehension. From an early age-before the time they can actually understand what the purpose of TV is, children are attracted to the device when it is on. Their psychological condition prevents them from figuring out the meaning of the acts they see. There is a large probability for most children in this age category to want to replicate what they see. This would be less worrying if infants were not especially attracted to characters that move fast and who are in most cases displaying violent behavior. Individuals are affected throughout their lives by the viewing preferences they adopt in their early lives (Josephson).

Children belonging to the three to five age group explore more and will constantly search for meaning in the information they are provided with. Again, children in this age group will be particularly attracted to scenes that employ a great intensity of unexpected sounds, images, and violent acts. Violence is not necessarily an act that causes children to be attracted to TV, but it is notable because of the imagery accompanying it. The largest part of children part of this age group is negatively influenced by what they see on TV because they are unable to understand the central theme in cartoons that display violence. Preschoolers are also likely to behave violently after they watch TV programs that display scenes involving violence and exciting activities in general (Josephson).

It is during their time in elementary school that children become able to understand TV programs and violence for what they are. Their mental condition assists them in their endeavor to understand TV programs and it is no longer necessary for them to go through great efforts in order to comprehend cartoons. It is mostly up to their dedication to gain an accurate understanding of TV that assists children in becoming capable of filtering the information they receive. Boys are principally influenced by cartoons during elementary school, as many identify with a violent male character and start to believe that cartoons reproduce real life. In order for them to be influenced by TV programs to a lesser degree, children have to understand that violence is immoral, harmful, and that it is punished (Josephson).

From six to eleven years old, children develop a liking toward programs that are intended for adults. Shockingly, numerous children in this age group watch horror films, with the probable purpose of making themselves less sensible to their own fears. Concomitantly however, their acceptance for violence in real life increases. Apparently, "researchers estimate that 32 violent acts per hour occur in children's television programming and that the average U.S. child will have viewed 8,000 murders and 100,000 violent acts on television by the time he or she completes elementary school" (Moeller, 2001, p. 127).

Even if children become able to invest mental effort into watching TV at a certain moment in their early lives, most are reluctant to do so and will continue to involve superficiality in the activity.

The largest part of adolescents believes that TV programs are of little to no importance. Even if the number of those who continue to be influenced by TV and to identify with the TV characters is small, most belonging to this group are predisposed to committing acts of violence. The fact that they develop superior thinking abilities makes teenagers liable to be negatively influenced by TV programs, as they focus on replicating the violence they see on TV rather than trying to distinguish it as something evil (Josephson).

All things considered, children will always be perceived as being "innocent, vulnerable, corruptible" (Barker & Petley, 2001, p. 11). Cartoons have apparently reached an apex when regarding their capability to put across violent behavior in a subtle manner. Researchers have come to think that most present-day cartoons present too much violence and that they decrease children's ability to distinguish between reality and fiction.

The system children use in their attempt to make the difference between what is real and what is unreal is extremely complicated and has nothing to do with what adults understand when relating to these concepts. Children reach a point where they consider that reality is what they enjoy the most. For example, a cartoon can be considered to be more real than a TV program that is mainly directed toward an adult audience. Even when they are fonder of adult programs, children are less capable to understand them and will acquire false information as a result.

While TV programs are generally believed to be harmful for children, some believe that they are actually essential in the process of child development. Children are apparently capable of producing thought that is much more complex than the general public thinks it is. Given that they are mainly interested in children-oriented TV programs, children are left with a more in-depth understanding of the concept of good vs. evil and succeed in realizing reality and identifying with it. Being a fan of fiction TV programs does not necessarily make one less able to differentiate between reality and fantasy (Barker & Petley, 2001, p. 14). A reason for which children were reported to commit acts of violence consequent to watching violence on TV might be that they were predisposed to being violent before watching such programs. It appears to be natural for violent individuals to enjoy violence on TV (Moeller, 2001, p. 129). Even when children engage in watching horror programs their tutors feel reluctant to admit that their kids are predisposed toward copying the violence they see in movies from the genre (Barker & Petley, 2001, p. 14).

A study absorbing data collected from children in six countries (the U.S., Finland, Israel, The Netherlands, and Poland) has shown that there is a connection between violence on TV and aggressive behavior in children. However, the results also emphasized the fact that this connection is not necessarily of great importance and that children are less likely to display aggressiveness consequent to watching violent TV programs, as there are other more important factors (family relationships, upbringing) can be held responsible for violent behavior seen in children (Moeller, 2001, p. 131).

TV programs supporters mainly justify their convictions by claiming that TV violence is actually beneficial for children for the fact that it helps them gain a better understanding of violence. They say that violence should not be denied, since it can be harmful if individuals come across it in their adult lives without being familiar with the concept.

In the opinion of those who support it, TV violence is largely overestimated and it actually has an educational effect on children, particularly because of the fact that most are reluctant to accept conventional methods of education. In addition to being a means of information and education, TV is also supported because of its role of entertaining people and relaxing them (Langone, 1984, p. 48).

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