Excessive Wathcing Of Television And The Negative Effects It Has On

Excessive Wathcing Of Television And The Negative Effects It Has On Excessive Wathcing Of Television And The Negative Effects It Has On Children â€" Thesis Example > Introduction: Visual media are an attraction for children, and they spend a lot of their free time watching television programs. This frequent and extended watching of television is believed to have an impact on them, and influences their behavior, attitudes, and values. In the United States of America there is growing concern on the content that children view, as well as the extended hours that children spend in front of the television (Alexander, A). Thesis statement: Excessive viewing of television has negative effects on children. Background: Television has become a inseparable part of our daily lives, just as many other products of the advances in science and technology, like the telephone and the fridge. The television is an audio-visual media through which we seek our requirements of entertainment and information. The fact that it is an audio-visual medium provided it with significance in many ways for children. It is a suitable means for education children, besides providi ng them with entertainment (The Good Things About Television). However, this attraction that children have for the television could lead to them to spending too much of their leisure time viewing television. Children in the United States of America spend a surprisingly large amount of time watching television. Analysis of national data indicates that the television viewing time in children below the age of six years, on an average is over an hour every day, and in adolescents the average television viewing time is as high as three and a half hours a day. There is cross-sectional evidence that excessive of television viewing has a negative effect on the viewer, irrespective of the age and ethnicity. Undesired behavior and unhealthy conditions result from excessive viewing of television. This has resulted in the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that children below the age of two should not be allowed to view television, and the viewing time of children above that age shou ld be restricted to less than two hour every day (Christakis, A.D. , Zimmerman, J.F. , 2006). Benefits of Viewing Television: The development of satellite television with digital input has enhanced both the reach of television, as well as the quantity and quality of content of television programs that are viewed by children. This has enhanced the attraction that children have had for the television. It thus is a media that can be used to provide benefits for children and the benefits, and watching wholesome television can enhance the quality of life of children. Television provides the means of sharing experiences with children. It has the ability of creating absorbing details of way of lives in nearby and distant lands, making it a more real experience of the cultures of these lands. The television assists children in sharing these cultural experiences with other children. The time spent on watching television by a family together is time and experience shared together. It is qu ite often seen that the greatest period of time families spend together is during viewing of television. Sharing of time and emotions during a baseball game between father and children, or mother and children watching a hilarious movie are a theme that recurs in most families.