TV Violence

9 Pages 2298 Words

dren and people as a whole are becoming too immune to violence, and are starting to accept it as a natural occurrence. What happens when our children see these things on a regular basis? hey will begin to believe that it is ok, and try to act out their favorite moments. However, as bad as this may sound there is something even worse happening to our children because we can not observe it!
In a study done by Susan R. Johnson, M.D., of the School Health Center in San Francisco, it has been discovered that too much television causes difficulties paying attention, focusing on work, and performing fine and gross motor tasks. These children also have a poor self-image and problems relating to adults and peers.
While observing her son she noticed that before watching TV, he would be outside and content to look at bugs, make things with sticks and rocks, and play in the water and sand. “He seemed at peace with himself, his body, and his environment.” (Johnson, 1997) When watching TV, he was so unresponsive to his mother and to what was happening around him, it seemed as though he was glued to the set. When the TV was turned off he would become anxious, nervous, and irritable and usually cried or screamed for the TV to be turned back on. After watching TV his play was erratic, his movements impulsive, uncoordinated, and he lacked his own imaginative input. “ Instead of creating his own play themes, he was simply re-enacting what he had just seen on TV in a very repetitive, uncreative and stilted way. (Johnson, 1997)
After observing this drastic change in behavior Dr. Johnson asked she “ Could television itself be causing attention problems and learning difficulties in children?” While doing her research the Doctor found that since 1970, more than 98% of American households own a TV at the moment,
>66% of these homes own three or more TVs. Television is on almost 7 hours per day in an average home. Children of all...