It's All About Moderation

It’s All About Moderation

            Moderation is considered “the key” to many aspects of life, including the amount of time spent watching television.  After many decades of thoroughly researching the affects that television watching has on children, scientists have discovered that time spent in front of the tube can have both positive and negative influence on a child’s mind and body.    Although watching too much television can lead to obesity, violent behavior, and ostracizing oneself; watching no television at all can also have negative outcomes such as overly-sheltered children, lower academic performance, and less confidence in interacting with peers.  Experts and children advocates have been torn for years between whether or not children should be allowed to watch TV.  Obviously either extreme of television watching – too much TV or none at all – is not healthy. When TV is viewed in moderation; however, it has been proven to stimulate a child’s education and creativity. 

            Television has become a staple in today’s society, and there is no way to avoid it.  Television watching has become as routine in American households as washing the dishes or making the bed.  Considered a great form of entertainment, “the TV is on ‘most’ of the time in 51% of households; and in 63% of households, the TV is ‘usually’ on during meals.”(UMHS).  Outrageous statistics such as these validate the opinions of many Americans: that as a society, America does in fact, watch too much TV.  It is vital that a middle ground is found regarding the amount of time spent in front of the television, and it is detrimental that children are taught healthy TV habits.

            Because television has become such a necessity in the lives of Americans, it needs to be viewed in moderation in order to fulfill its greatest potential – not only entertaining children, but also educating them.  The TV can open up new worlds for kids; giving them a chance to travel the globe, explore different cultures, and gain exposure to the diverse areas and types of wildlife on this planet.  Monitoring the amount of time a child spends watching TV, as well as the shows that he or she is watching, is critical to a child’s development.  Van Evra from The Research Center for Families and Children declares: “moderate television watching with discretion in program viewing can be somewhat beneficial for school age children”(Graham).   It has been proven that children who watched a moderate amount of television performed better academically than those children who excessively watched television or those who did not watch television at all.  According to Karen Jaffe from the Family Education Network, some contemporary shows such as “Blue’s Clues,” “Bear in the Big Blue House,” “Big Bag,” and “Dora the Explorer” can be educational and promote pro-social behavior.  Educational television, however, is not the only type of TV that is being watched by children these days; and that is where the problems arise.

            Allowing children to watch television does have its advantages; but plopping a child down in front of a TV set with full reign of the remote control will in no way generate positive behavior.  Children must have regulations as to what television shows they are allowed to watch.  The government is actually promoting healthy TV watching by having implemented a rating system for television programming.  This system is aimed to help guide parents and assist them in establishing rules and guidelines for their child’s TV watching.  Television shows with the TV-Y rating are suitable for all children, while shows with the TV-7 rating contain mild fantasy violence or comedic violence that may scare younger kids, so are best recommended for children over the age of seven.  Although the parental rating system is very effective, not all shows have ratings, so parents need to be familiar with the television programs that their child is watching in order to protect what their children are being exposed to. 

            When children have full reign over the television, watching whatever they want to, for however long they want to, there will only be one outcome – negative behavior.  Research has indicated that the typical American child will be exposed to 12,000 violent acts of television per year (Graham)!  It has also been proven that children are imitators, and those who watch violent shows are more likely to display aggressive behavior.  Even in certain children’s programs violence not only occurs, but it is viewed as a positive solution to a problem.   While parents are busy teaching their child that violence is wrong, many television shows are encouraging children to emulate the “good guys,” and perform violent acts on the “bad guys”, making violence seem like a positive response to a situation.  Violence is never a positive solution, and children need to fully understand that.  If children have no restrictions on what type of television programs they are allowed to watch, they will be exposed to more and more violence, which will only lead to an increase of aggressive and violent acts towards others without knowing the difference between right and wrong. 

            Because of the overwhelming amount of violence and other risky behaviors shown on TV, it is imperative that parents establish family rules for television watching.  Dr. David Walsh, the president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, recommends that families set up a television schedule to display which programs are OK to watch and when they are allowed to be watched.  The schedule does not have to just be a means of rule enforcement; but it can also encourage family TV time and promote family togetherness.  It is very important for parents to watch television with their child and answer any question that he or she may have regarding something that they see on TV.  Instead of completely avoiding controversial topics, parents need to discuss these topics with their child.  By explaining confusing situations and addressing difficult issues, children are able to take away positive messages from a not-so-positive TV program.

            Television can be considered a wonderful and positive contribution to the world; or it can be thought of as a brainwashing device that will ultimately lead to the downfall of society.  Both of these descriptions are extreme opinions regarding the invention of the television, and can be argued either way.  Similarly, in regards to television viewing, extreme and contrasting beliefs are argued about how much TV is appropriate for children to watch.  Neither extreme in both of these previous situations is absolutely correct.  Life is all about moderation, and the amount of time spent watching TV is no exception.  Educational television programs are exciting and interactive – encouraging    children to learn and ask questions.  Television can also bring up controversial issues that are important for parents and children to discuss together, so watching TV as a family promotes bonding and deep discussions.  Too much time spent in front of the TV, on the other hand, can lead to increased aggression and violent behavior because these types of conduct begin to seem acceptable when seen repeatedly.  Too much television can also lead to anti-social behavior; but on the contrary, it has been proven that children who watch shows with positive messages are more likely to interact with other children than those children who watch too much TV or no TV at all (Gavin).  The issue of television watching will always be prevalent and unresolved because TV can have both a positive and negative affect on one’s mind and body.  Finding the middle ground is “key” with TV viewing, and it is crucial that this middle ground is enforced in all American households. 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

 

Gavin, Dr. Mary L.. How TV Affects Your Child. KidsHealth, 6 April 2008.             .

 

Graham, Judith. Family Issues Facts. U of Maine Cooperative Extension. 5 April 2008.

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Television. U. of Michigan Health System. 5 April 2008

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