Eighty
per cent of all American homes have at least one television. The average child
watches television from two to three hours each day (more during the
preschool years and in early adolescence, less during the early elementary
school years). During “prime” evening television viewing hours television
viewers witness, on average, five to ten violent acts per hour of programming.
During Saturday morning hours, television viewers (who are typically children)
witness from 25 to 75 violent incidents per year. By the time the average
child graduates from elementary school, he or she will have witnessed 8,000
murders and more than 100,000 other depictions of violence on television.
These facts and figures should be sobering to any parent and highlight the
need for caution in our use of television.
Years of
psychological research have demonstrated rather clearly that exposure to
violent material on television has a deleterious effect. This research
suggests that there is probably a casual relationship between expo- sure to
violence on television and aggressive behavior and attitudes in both children
and adults. Heavy television viewers tend to behave more aggressively than do
light viewers. Heavy television viewers seem to harbor more aggressive
attitudes and seem to con- done aggression more readily than do light viewers.
Exposure to depictions of sexual violence seems to be associated with
calloused attitudes toward rape and violence against women. The research also
seems to indicate that the more children are exposed to televised portrayals
of violence the more interested they are in these violent portrayals and the
more they will have an appetite for and will seek out violent programming.
There
is little doubt that television should be used prudently and that parents
should be thoughtful in their supervision of television use
in the home. Here are some suggestions:
View
television actively with your child.
Watch television with your children. Watch at least one episode of the
programs that your child might watch regularly and become familiar with the
content of these television programs. Discuss the programs that you watch.
Apply television to your real life. Ask your children to compare what they see
on the television screen with people, places, or events that they know
firsthand, have read about, or have studied in school. Explain to your
children the values that your family holds about such things as violence, sex,
or drugs.
Plan
your use of television. Specifically select programs that you or your children
wish to see, watch only those programs, and turn the television off when the
programs are over. Don’t use television as companionship or for
“background noise.”
Limit
television-viewing time in the house- hold. Establish weekly television
viewing time limits. Rule out television at certain times of the day, such as
before breakfast or on school evenings. Pay attention to the amount of time
that your children spend in front of your television. Be sure to limit the
amount of time that you spend watching television: if you watch television
frequently, your children will, too.
Select
non-violent programs for yourself and your children. If your children happen
to view violent programming, be sure to talk about why the violence happened,
how painful it might have been for the characters, and how the conflict that
was depicted might have been solved without violence.
Finally,
encourage other activities! If your children are excited about other
activities, their interest in television viewing as a pas- time will diminish.
Don’t allow television to be the center of your household and don’t allow
television viewing to become a preferred activity for your children.
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