h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As crime rates rise, everybody asks the same question: where do all the criminals come from?
The answer has been found…

Television is a leading factor that influences how well children respond to certain events that may come to pass during the course of their youth, and in later life. Television is also one of the most powerful information sources of the modern era; however, can it affect your child?

Research has proven yes. It has been determined that children who regularly view violent television at a young age will NOT do well in later life. These particular people are the ones that use acts of violence to resolve a conflict and even commit crimes.
A child watching television will witness, in one hour, an average of five violent acts to various degrees.

This even occurs in cartoons like “Looney Tunes” (yes, even Bugs Bunny isn’t all that innocent). From this, your child’s mind is being manoeuvred into a position where, as a result, it views violent behaviour as something that is normal, rather than the foul thing it is; moreover, this leads to them being less willing to step in when something of a violent nature occurs.

When a child sits in front of a television, s/he is being conditioned to assume a more aggressive disposition in certain situations. This is on account of the fact that, when a conflict of some sort unfolds during a program, it is often resolved in a quick and blood-thirsty manner.

What will this do? Children, who, at a young age, prefer to watch violent television, are generally of a more belligerent nature. They will often believe that any problem can be resolved in a quick and easy way through the use of violence in lieu of a more peaceful means.

What can you do about it?

A lot.

If you see your child watching something that you believe is inappropriate, TURN IT OFF!

Even if they scream and shout, do not turn the television on again. If you give in often enough, you’ll give up. This is not what you want to do.

Regulate the amount of time your child spends in front of theat a young age and, as a result, you may determine what your child becomes.

Every time you see your child watching a violent program, think: turn it off, and, subsequently, they’ll become a better person. Do nothing, and, as a result, they’ll get worse.

Sometimes, it can’t be helped, but they shall witness acts of violence throughout their lives. Your only weapon, against this evil plague, is the supremacy you hold over the jurisdiction of the TV. Use it, and you shall emerge victorious in this great battle. One in which society has been pitted against the foe of the television.

This does not mean that all TV shows are bad, because, for example, some shows aducate children, but a majority of shows contain violent scenes of some sort

nice selective quoting of the research, but do quote the rest.

the truth is not that watching bugs bunny and friends is the problem, but that using them as the babysitter is.

the children should not see more than three hours of tv a day while at pre-school ages, and yet those are exactly the ages where they are dumped in front of the tv "to keep them quiet and entertained".

Turning off the programme won't work, a child will then make every effort to see what is forbidden. This could be at a friend's house, or by turning on when the adult is not around.

Better to watch with your child and
a) express your own distaste at poor behaviour exhibited on TV & explain why.
b) discuss the content of the programme, it's good & bad points.
c) point out the difference between cartoon & real life.

Oh hogwash.

Gee, just imagine how peaceful and law-abiding our ancestors would have been without TV.

Care to amplify & give reasons for your comment, Stealth?

It was a comment on the original post, not your own.

I watched endless hours of television as a child, and it didn't have any effect on me. And anyone who wants to suggest otherwise can discuss it with me outside.

I watched a ton of television growing up and now am a complete pacifist. I abhor violence in just about any form (certain sports excluded). So I have to disagree with the statement that watching television leads to violence. I fear it is actually a lack of parenting that leads to violence, more than any other factor.

I've spent my life watching a ton of television (this takes into account movies, too, since since 1972 they have become very little more than expensive tv programs) and the only violence I normally contemplate is against some of the scriptwriters and the directors.
I feel that they have raped my mind and murdered entire hours of
my life.

Of course, the fact that Organized Crime task forces now have to watch Scarface and the Godfather trilogies to learn about where modern hoodlums get their cultural clues from is a mind-boggling fact. It suggests that childish adults who are already criminals are so suggestable that fiction is more useful to them than reality.