One way in which technology has changed human society to a major degree lies behind the creation of television, and more prominently, cable TV and the television-crazed, “couch-potato” lifestyle. While cable television obviously isn’t the newest technological creation, it has been a thriving and major staple in pop culture since its conception and has certainly affected our society as a whole. It is widely known that too much television is not healthy, but how is cable TV really affecting our society, especially our children?
As stated on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the prevalence of childhood obesity has greatly increased over the past few decades. Obviously, watching television alone will not cause for weight gain, however, the two are closely linked. CDC mentions: “several studies have found a positive association between the time spent viewing television and increased prevalence of obesity in children". The real connection here lies in the fact that while watching TV, individuals are not physically active, and often times, eating while they are doing so; on top of the fact that, fast-food companies such as McDonald's and Burger King are constantly targeting younger audiences in purchasing their fatty foods.
A recent survey proclaimed: "television viewing in middle school and high school predicted poorer dietary intake five years later" and goes on to mention the potential to cause unhealthy eating habits later in life. Thus, factual studies show that because of marketing ploys and lack of physical activity, et cetera, excessive television viewing can promote and lead to weight gain and unhealthy habits. Negative habits learned in adolescence can likely continue into, and possibly through, adulthood. Therefore, in a nation with a progressively growing obesity rate (among children and adults), these correlations are noteworthy of mentioning and taken seriously. If watching less TV can cause for a healthier America and healthier children, then we should most definitely watch less TV!
Also worth mentioning is the amount of violence that children are subjected to through regular TV viewing, and how this can potentially affect them psychologically. TV violence and profanity, as well as other adult themes, are becoming more and more accepted in our mainstream media. Television norms used to be widely based around the “perfect” family (e.g. Leave It to Beaver and Howdy Doody), but in our modern day and age, extreme violence is not abnormal to witness on a popular television show.
Research in the Psychiatric Times states that “televised violence does influence viewers’ attitudes, values, and behavior”. It goes on to mention that extensive viewing of violence in television can cause feelings of overestimated fear, increases in aggressive behavior, and desensitization to real life violence. Even in a child's cartoon there will be multiple violent interactions within only a series of minutes; not to mention adult themed TV shows that children may well have access to.
There are also positive effects that television has on our society. For example, television offers educational programs such as Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer to help young children learn basic problem solving skills, as well as, basic cultural differences. It also offers various wilderness survival based programs (e.g. Dual Survival, Survivalman), and it can also serve as a means to keep individuals in touch with current events of the period. However, in excess, the cons certainly out-weigh the pros!
Television should be seen strictly as a means of entertainment, and should not be an excessive part of anyone’s daily routine. Children especially should be monitored and limited in terms of what television shows they watch and how often they watch television. Given that “television is one of the most prevalent media influences in kids’ lives”, it is imperative to take the negative affects of excessive television viewing seriously. Although children don’t ever want to be bored, boredom without TV can act as a means towards a more progressive and mind-enhancing end.
Here's an interesting YouTube video regarding violence on TV and children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYkpv-_02w&feature=PlayList&p=627887C17B1EC03E&index=0&playnext=1
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