Television and Children

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Television and Children: Understanding and Combating Media Violence

With the right programming, a television can provide entertainment and education for children. However, as we all know it contains a significant amount of negative images. Television violence, harsh language, and sexually explicit content as well as aggressive marketing are prevalent. It's those types of images and messages which most professionals and parents wish to eliminate for young children.

Of course such violent content isn't confined just to television. Music, video games and more are in question.

Should parents really be concerned about television and children? What does the research show as far as the effects of TV violence? This page focuses primarily on the case against exposure to media violence, tips for parents to counteract or block such programming, and help in finding the best viewing options out there. Learn all about this by reading further on this page.

For more information on the influence of media on health and sexuality, be sure to visit Influence of Media on Children.
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What Are the Effects of Television Violence on Children? 

Over the past 30 years, thousands of studies have examined the effects of TV violence on children. Viewing violence on TV has been linked to aggression in both males and females despite other factors such as intelligence, social status, or parenting style. It has been said to be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior.

Clearly, viewing violence on TV is not the only influence and it's effect varies based on the age of the child. Studies have shown the effects of TV violence are greatest at an early age. It seems that the type of violence seen can also result in different responses. Violence which is not seen as evil or does not result in punishment, disapproval, or human suffering appears to be that which is the most likely to result in agressive behavior in children.

Find more information on this topic below.

The Effects of Media Violence on Children 

Get a taste of what the research and various professional organizations have to say about the effects of TV violence on kids.
The American Psychiatric Association
Find out what the APA is saying about the effects of media violence and their recommendations for parents to limit exposure and to counteract the effects.
Media Awareness Network
An overview of a number of research studies looking at the effect of TV violence.
National Institue on Media and the Family
A brief fact sheet about the findings of a variety of medical, pediatric, and psychological organizations regarding the effects of media violence.
The Psycholgical Effects of Media Violence
A paper by Joanne Cantor, Ph.D. giving an overview; complete with references.
The Influence of Media Violence on Youth
The findings of a study published in December 2003 regarding the effects of TV violence with an extensive listing of sources.
Public Health Agency of Canada
A discussion of the effect of media violence and a number of recommendations for parents.
Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General
A report covering effects of media violence, research findings, and preventative efforts.
Children, Violence, and the Media
A Senate Judiciary Committee report. Interesting facts about the exposure to music, video game, and television violence from 1999.

What Are Your Children Learning From Television? 


The Killing Screens: Media & the Culture of Violence

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Growing Up With Television Video by Cori Turkowsk (2006) PSA

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curated content from YouTube

Other Sources of Media Violence 

The violence and other inappropriate content present in television shows is sometimes easy to spot. From fist fighting and arguing to shooting and other criminal activity it is clear that much of prime time TV is filled with such images. Cop shows, dramas, and reality TV don't sneak by the watchful eye of most parents.

But how about other sources of media violence? The rioting, war coverage, and crime stories on the news. The violence present in many cartoons. How about the unrealistic violence in a WWF fight or a brawl in hockey? Some sporting events don't really provide the kinds of role models children need. Then of course, there is the unabated violence in some forms of music and in videogames.

For parents who wish to limit exposure, all media really needs to be evaluated.

What Can Parents Do to Protect Their Children From Media Violence? 

Parents can do a number of things but primarily they can:

  • Limit their child's exposure to violence on television by monitoring and restricting what they watch through parental controls/rules and providing better programming

  • Watch with their children to discuss and help interpret what they are seeing rather than leaving television and children left unmonitored.

    Find out the specific recommendations of experts below.

    • Countering the Effects of Media Violence 

    Learn how to reduce exposure to media violence and make a child's viewing time a better and more educational experience.
    Kids Health
    Tips for guiding your child's viewing time, a description of the TV rating system, and an overview of the V-chip technology.
    Center for Media Literacy
    Limiting exposure is important, but learning to recognize violence and to find alternatives is important too.
    Youth Violence Prevention
    A list of resources to help parents and teachers.
    Getting Along: Taming the TV
    Additional tips and talking points when viewing TV to reduce the effects of TV violence.
    Children and Television
    How to use television sensibly: from advertisements to regualar programming. Ways to develop critical thinking about what children view.

    Although we might want media to reduce violence, the most effective thing to do is take your own action. Parents can limit TV viewing time, restrict what programming is viewed, watch TV with their kids and discuss it, and set a good example themselves. Letters to studios can be useful as well.

    Parental Controls for Television 

    Televisions over 13-inches in size now have a V-chip which allows parents to block programming based on ratings. With a V-chip, pairing television and children is a bit safer. Parents can learn more about the V-chip by browsing this FCC site.

    In addition most services offer parental controls to allow users to restrict viewing. For example, Dish Network satellite receivers offer parental controls/system locks that restrict what programs can be viewed based on password protected locks. Restrictions can be set up by channel or by ratings. The software operates in conjunction with V-Chip technology and parents simply program the system to restrict access to certain shows. For even greater protection, Dish's "Adult Guard" software can even completely remove Adult Channels from the Electronic Program Guide.

    Here are some reference pages for other providers:
    DirectTV
    Comcsast
    Brighthouse
    Cox
    Time Warner
    Charter
    Mediacom
    CableOne

    Limit TV Viewing Time Easily 

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    Wee Remote: A Parental Control for the Youngest Children 

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    Battling Television Violence by Selecting the Best Kids TV Shows 

    Obvsiously, television violence is minimal or absent in some programming. In fact, there is some great programming for kids out there. Much of it's entertaining and educational. Most services offer programming such as Discovery Kids, the various Disney Channels, Nickelodeon, Nick Toons, and other award winning shows such as BabyFirst TV.

    Certainly, there is also the option of many of the classic TV shows available on select channels. Shows such as Leave It To Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show and others often provide great entertainment but offer the added benefit of a great lesson for character development.

    For help in finding some of the best that is out there, check out the links below.

    Best Kids Shows 

    Epinions
    See what shows other parents rated highly.
    ParentsTV.org
    See how parentstv.org rates all TV programs.
    PBS
    PBS is a trusted source for quality educational content for kids.
    Rate It All
    More top picks by parents.
    Parent Center
    Top picks by the Parent Center.
    Common Sense Media
    Best Science Shows for Kids as rated by Common Sense Media.
    Kaboose
    Reviews of kids TV shows and DVD's to help you select the best.

    Top Rated Childrens' Movies on Netflix 

    001- Night at the Museum

    Chaos reigns at the natural history museum when night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) accidentall...
    002- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

    When four London children (Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Anna Popplewell) are...
    003- WALL-E

    In a futuristic world, human beings have destroyed Earth and evacuated the planet, leaving the clean...
    004- Ratatouille

    Brad Bird (The Incredibles) co-directs this Oscar-winning Pixar offering about a passionate rat name...
    005- Cars

    Prepare to peel out with this revved-up animated adventure featuring classic automobiles, plenty of...
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    Non Violent Video Games 

    Looking for video games with non-violent content? Here are some recommnedations.
    Good Video Games
    A few recommendations for non-violent video games.
    Digital Bits
    A recommendation or two from another writer.
    CMCH Mentors
    An entire listing of non-violent video games.
    Killology
    More recommendations for non-violent video games.

    What Do You Say? 

    Does Violence on Television Influence Kids?

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    Yes, Something Has to Explain All of This Violence!

    BrianRS says:

    I think violence on television can have an adverse affect on some kids but not others, problem is knowing which ones will be affected in a negative way, so really you have to remove the risk.

    Posted October 11, 2009

    Gopal says:

    yes, child's mind is very soft, which can be affected by any kind of unusual event. They may be scared or they can even learn ways to commit violence in future.

    Posted March 07, 2009

    Andrew says:

    some programs have great influence on children and most of it are bad influence, just like killing movies.

    Posted February 21, 2009

    Vacation-In-My-Head says:

    I absolutely think that it does. Kids mimic what they see that is part of how they learn. Whether good or bad kids act out what they see.

    Posted February 06, 2009

    says:

    I try and avoid exposing my kids to violent programmes; they mostly watch channels that have programmes for young children and are educational as well as entertaining.

    Posted October 28, 2008

    Nope! You Crack Me Up; I Lived Through It and So Can My Kids. Kids Are Smarter Than You Give Them Credit For!

    Sonaprint says:

    I loved watching the Alfred Hitchcock movies. I turned out OK. Yes Monitor them and they will be fine.

    Posted October 26, 2009

    lakeerieartists says:

    I am on the fence about this. I think that it comes down to parents being responsible for what their children watch, and knowing what to restrict. Cartoons have always been violent. Have you watched the old Looney tunes?

    Posted October 06, 2008

    dylan says:

    Some media, but not all violent media is influential.

    Posted June 18, 2008

    Bobby_Billiards says:

    I don't know. I think a lot of factors go into it. I watched a lot of tv when I was younger. But at the same time my viewing was monitored. And I always kind of understood how what I was watching wasn't real (I guess the fact that my father used to be a camera man and worked in theater kind of helped with that). I think what it comes down to most is what the parents teach the kids. Plus I think letting kids watch tv helps them socialize with other kids, they have a common interest whether it's in a favorite tv show, or even favorite commercial to talk about.

    Posted April 23, 2008

     
    view all 19 comments

    Media Violence in the News 

    Say Yes to No™ — Pediatricians sound the alarm, and it's not H1N1!
    At the National Institute on Media and the Family, we've been doing research and sounding the alarms about the effect of media violence on children and youth for years. It's clearly time to take action, because the cause and effect is ...
    Effects of Media Violence
    The article talks about research on the effect of media violence. The article states that research has found the more violence children see being portrayed in the media the more likely they are to act out these actions later on in there ...
    Media violence and children - BusinessWorld Online
    Media violence and childrenBusinessWorld OnlineSteyer, in his book The Other Parent, also discussed at length the effect of media violence on children, and how a steady diet of television, movies, ? Click Here to learn more about Stop ...
    Blog 9
    Correspondent, Barbara FMG ?Parental Guidance Suggested Matt Damon's Mom Studies the Effect of Media Violence on Children.? The Boston Globe April 1 2008, sec. LIVINGARTS: E1. Web. ?New Mexico Daily Lobo :: Study explores effects of ...
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    Introduction Photo Credit: aaronyx
    Effects of Television Violence on Children Photo Credit: debaird
    Best Kids TV Shows Photo Credit: pfly
    Other Sources of Media Violence Photo Credit: dan4th
    What Can Parents Do to Protect Their Children from Media Violence Photo Credit: orangeacid.
    Parental Controls Photo Credit: frenkieb.

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    by mulberry

    Television and Children. Pairing a young impressionable mind with a savvy and powerful "teacher" such as a television can have lasting effects. Learn... (more)

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