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Lindsey Hillman

Mrs. Kenly

British Literature

27 April 2018

Negative Effects of Television

Televisions have been around since 1927. They have been improved from black and

white to showing color with visual and audio enhancements. It took more than one person to

create this technology. It went through many stages which include being a radio first to evolving

into televisions sold today. There have been changes from basic box televisions to high

definition, cable television, 3D television, and flat screen televisions varying in many different

price ranges. Televisions provide continuous local coverage for over 24 hours and news gets

around faster. Many modern homes today have televisions, and it would be hard not to imagine

an American home without a television. In today’s society many Americans spend most of their

time watching TV for multiple reasons, for example some watch it for news, entertainment, and

also learning. The average American watches five hours of TV per day, and out of those

Americans children watch over 24 hours of TV per week. That’s a lot of time for a child to be

watching TV. During this time a child can observe many situations that occur on television such

as comical situations, serious situations, sexual and violent situations, and pick up multiple bad

habits. They began to mimic actions from the television which aren’t always good, they began to

spend more time eating while sitting in front of the television, and because of this television has
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become a negative factor in the lives of children. As a result of children spending too much time

watching TV, television has impacted the lives of many children in a negative way.

One negative way television has impacted children is by giving them inaccurate

information. Many children look towards TV as a provider of information. Kids are more likely

to learn things from TV or from a friend that parents don’t want them to learn (Boyse). Kids

don’t learn that much about sexual behaviors from their parents, and there’s not a lot of sex

education in schools but TV teaches this giving the child information that the parent wasn’t

ready for the child to know (Robert Hodge). Children can also learn language like cursing

making their parent suspicious on who taught them those words. Media can only show certain

amounts of this information to children. Children learn fast and take the information they receive

from the television to heart. So whatever they see on TV that information is sucked up giving

them valid or invalid information (Hackney Blackwell). Children learn information from

television that may be inappropriate or incorrect. They often can not tell the difference between

the fantasies presented on television versus reality. They are influenced by the thousands of

commercials seen each year, many of which are for alcohol, junk food, fast foods, and toys.

Academic performance can also have an impact on children. Children and teens take in

information different than adults do so some information that they come across absorbs into their

brain like they’re sponges whether its good or bad information (Schneider 67).
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Television also has a negative impact on children’s health. Children who spend more than

four hours per day watching TV are more likely to become overweight (Loop). Watching TV can

affect one's physical body in the inside, changing brain waves, reduce critical eye movements,

immobilize the hands and body and undermine nutrition and eating habits (Loop). Reality TV is

very popular with teens. Most teens view TV up to six and a half hours of the day. Children who

consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.

While watching TV they are also influenced by commercials to consume unhealthy food. Also,

they are not running, jumping, or doing activities that burn calories and increase metabolism.

Obese kids, unless they change their habits, tend to be obese when they become adults

(Schneider 250). Media has a negative impact on the way children view themselves. As kids get

older they pay more attention to television, other than physical activity, homework, and family

time. A muscular man or super skinny woman on television can negatively influence a child’s

body image and self- perception. Lots of shows on television show children in classrooms just

sitting around and taking naps with no work being done. This convinces children that it's okay to

play around in school with limited exercise or recess and bad school lunches. Children who have

poor self-images are more vulnerable to developing prejudices. Some children may exclude or

make fun of others because they believe it is the popular thing to do. Children may begin to use

unkind names for different groups if they feel it will help them to be more accepted by their

peers. Over time, such actions can result in prejudice and discrimination against specific groups.

Both old and new media including social networking sites can have an impact on every health

concern that practitioners and parents have.

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Also television has impacted children in a negative way by presenting them with much

violence. Kids who see violent actions on TV are more likely to act in a violent way. Kids who

view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior. There is significant evidence that

exposure to violence in real life (for instance, witnessing violent crime or domestic violence) can

cause young people to see violence as acceptable or unremarkable. There is some evidence to

suggest this may happen, on a smaller scale, as a result of exposure to media violence (Gross).

Violence can lead to anxiety and fear as a means of solving conflict (Gross). Children may

become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. Children may be more fearful of the

world around them. Children may even be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways

toward others. Children often dream about being like a person they see on TV but if the person

on the television is being violent the child will then think it's okay to be violent (Gross). Children

who watch the violent shows, even "just funny" cartoons, were more likely to hit out at their

playmates, argue, disobey class rules, leave tasks unfinished, and were less willing to wait for

things than those who watched the nonviolent programs (Gross). Media presents violence in a

positive light making children more susceptible to behave in violent ways. Much violence on TV

is presented in a sanitized and glamorized fashion. Violent media increases the likelihood of later

aggressive and violent behavior. Every violent show one watches increases just a little bit the

likelihood of behaving more aggressively in some situation (Boyse).

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Another way in which television has impacted children in a negative way is by displaying

many sexual situations. The sexual things kids see on television make them more likely to

behave in sexual ways. Modern media have become more and more about sex, drugs, and

violence. Sexual content on television programming is a common theme among successful

television series. Television has been accused of allowing producers to push the boundaries of

what is acceptable. (Loop)​ ​Sexual content thus is both controversial and successful in producing

ratings. Primetime dramas and movies feature intimate conversations about impotence and

orgasms. Situation comedies are filled with sexual innuendo and suggestiveness. But has sexual

content always been the prime focus of prime time television? A cultural shift for media

consumers can be cited for the increase in sexual content showcased on prime-time, popular,

television series (Loop). Today’s successful programming in television seems to be saturated

with sexual content. Teens can download violent videos and send sexual text messages or

explicit self- photographs to their friends or partner (Boyse). Television shows geared toward

teenagers actually have more sexual content than adult shows. Sexual situations portrayed in the

media have provided children with an easier way of partaking in sexual behaviors (Steussy 79).

New programs on television contain lots of sexual and violent activities which can influence

behaviors that aren’t normal. Television has shown more about violence, sex, and drugs lately.

Increasing sexual content in media and ads has been spreading.

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TV has also impacted children in a negative way by shaping gender roles. With the media

being such a frequent influence in American households, children are extremely likely to pick up

on the lifestyle depictions present in the entertainment they watch (Lankford 301). These images

shape children’s thoughts and imagination regarding their own lifestyle and opinions. Children

are not the only ones that pick up on various gender roles in the media. Gender roles are also a

prevalent force in society. The construction of gender roles has created a number of stereotypes

about the way that men and women act and carry themselves. Men are expected to be public,

outdoor people who are active and capable, while women are expected to be passive and helpless

while being private and keeping indoors. Women are shown on TV as insignificant characters

compared to males because they are given insignificant roles (Lankford 216). Female characters

are more passive than male characters. Females on television have personal lives that are usually

ignored. They are portrayed as housewives who take care of children and family and the men are

out building a career (Lankford 216). Employed women are shown in traditionally female

occupations as subordinates to men and with little status or power. Girls shown on television are

portrayed as characters more obsessed with looks than having to deal with real issues in the

world (Lankford 245). Girls are relatively gentle and concerned with being beautiful and

popular, while boys are encouraged to be aggressive and consider more about their career than

appearance (Lankford 245). Girls are often stereotypically portrayed as playing lesser beings,

dependent roles or sexual objects. Woman on television are portrayed as not being able to solve

personal problems by themselves and they usually need companionship that men don’t.
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A negative way television has impacted a lot of children is by hindering their child

development. When children spend too much time watching TV they become distracted and their

performance in school is poor. Most of children’s free time, especially during the early

formative years, should be spent in activities such as playing, reading, exploring nature, learning

about music or participating in sports (Goldberg 45). Kids watching cartoons and entertainment

television during preschool years have poorer pre-reading skills at age five. For instance, some

studies show that preschoolers who watch educational programs like Sesame Street have better

academic outcomes in elementary school. What about younger children? Most studies on

children and television involve preschoolers and older children, but researchers have recently

begun to study television’s effects on children under three (Goldberg 57). School kids who watch

a lot of TV also tend to work less on their homework. Kids who watch a lot of TV have trouble

paying attention to teachers because they are used to fast-paced stimulation on TV (Goldberg

15). Children who watch too much TV are unable to be productive in the classroom. TV provides

no educational benefits for a child under the age of two; it steals time for activities that actually

develop their brain; like interacting and playing with other people (Boyse). If children watch TV

all day they lose sleep and become less alert during the day at school, hindering their

performance in class. Watching more television also creates shorter attention spans for children.
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An additional negative effect that television has on children is racial stereotypes.

Children learn racial stereotypes in many ways and some may differ from others. Young people

in different races and ethnic groups vary in their susceptibility to the various appeals of TV

entertainment (Barcus 445). Children not only recognize race from a very young age, but also

develop racial biases by age three to five and television plays a role in this. Racial biases are

indirectly taught by television and the parent of the child (Barcus 400). Television portrays many

racial stereotypes and children feed off this information.​ ​If the audience views certain ethnic and

racial groups in a negative manner, and television portrayals confirm those images, then TV

entertainment may be reassuring those people that their images of certain ethnic and racial

groups as foolish, lower class, inarticulate, or criminal are correct (Barcus 370). Black students

not only respond to their race characters but they also regard to these characters as typical

real-life groups (Barcus 371). African Americans are often depicted as lower income individuals

depending on the majority race and setting a bad example for children who watch television.

Many shows always show “terrorist” being arrested and tortured, blacks getting pulled over by

the police, whites getting robbed, and Asians as store owners. Most reality TV shows of today

stereotype blacks as unfriendly, rowdy, and materialist which can make children look down upon

themselves.
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The final way in which television has a negative effect on children’s lives is by making

kids more prone to risky behavior. Television presents using drugs in a positive light. Most

television shows portray drug usage to be expectable, for example there are multiple drug

dealers, users and abusers (Ni). Smokers are often depicted as young, independent, rebellious,

healthy and adventurous, and adverse effects of smoking are seldom shown. Television doesn’t

show how most illegal drugs are bad and how using them can cause damage to the brain, heart,

and other important organs (Ni). Television makes partaking in risky behavior seem expectable.

Teenagers today are more likely to see a marijuana ad than to see a public service announcement

that discourages underage smoking. Unlike traditional advertising, media depictions of legal

drugs are generally positive and invite no criticism, because they are not viewed as advertising.

(Loop) The result is that young people receive mixed messages about substance use, and the

media contribute significantly to the risk that young people will engage in substance use. (Loop)

On television people are not shown being unable to do well at school, sports, and other activities.

Sometimes television depicts kids and teens trying drugs to fit in with a group of friends or they

might just be bored and want to try something new (Gross). Others can also be hurt or a child can

hurt themselves by using drugs. TV series allow children to get to know the character being

shown and by seeing this repetitive use of drugs by someone one will start to think they have a

significant influence on your decision to use a drug or not (Gross).

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Although television can present positive aspects such as providing world information

through the news, there are many ways in which television influences children to act in a

negative manner. As mentioned in the paper earlier, television has been shown to hinder learning

because children spend so much time watching TV their attention span is short in class.

Television displays explicit sexual situations that children tend to become curious ad put

themselves in risky situations because of the sexual situations displayed on TV. Television

decreases children’s health because instead of children being active they spend most of their time

in front of the TV. The television displays violence which makes children more willing to

partake in violent behavior. The television also gives inaccurate information which children use

and believe, leaving them with misleading information they keep with them and use it in reality.

Television also presents children with racial stereotypes leaving certain racial groups believe

they can be nothing more than how they are portrayed on television. Television also hinders

child development because children are spending too much time watching TV and less time

reading or doing other activities that help stimulate their brain growth in a positive way.

Television also shapes gender roles in a negative way, which hinders children be influencing

them to think that women can be no more than the roles and jobs they have on TV and that men

are strong and intelligent with important jobs that women cannot have. It’s a sad but true reality

of the many ways in which television influences children in a negative way. It is rare that

excessive television watching has been proven beneficial to children and teenagers.
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Works Cited

Barcus, F. Earle. Image of Life on Children's Television. Praeger Publishers, 1983.

Boyse, Kyla. Television and Children. Your Child Development & Behavior Resources,

2010, www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv. Accessed 8 March 2018.

Dolliver, Mark. ​Turn Off Sesame Street And Go Play In Traffic​. Adweek Eastern

Edition Ed., 1999,

connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/2079800/turn-off-sesame-street-go-play-traff

ic. 10 March 2018.

Goldberg, George. ​Making it in Showbiz​. Chicago: Contemporary Books, Inc., 1988.

Gross, Gail. ​Violence on TV and How It Can Affect Your Children.​ Huffington Post, 15

October 2013,

www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/violence-on-tv-children_b_3734764.html.

10 March 2018.

Hackney Blackwell, Amy. ​Television​. United States of America: Infobase Publishing,

Inc., 2010.

Lankford, Ronnie D. ​Reality TV. ​United States of America: Christine Nasso, 2008.
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Loop, Erica. ​The Negative Influence TV Has on Teens​. Global​ ​Post, 2015,

howtoadult.com/negative-influence-tv-teens-7224.html. 18 February 2018.

Maria, Zaharie Monica and Andreea Loana Maniu. ​How Could Children Become Bad
Consumers- Materialistic Values And Ethics.​ ​ ​Lifestyle, 2012, .8
February 2018.

Noronha, Shonan. ​Opportunities in Television and Video Careers​. Chicago: VGM Career

Horizons, 1998.

Perritano, John. ​What is Reality TV's Influence on Culture? ​How Stuff Works, 2015,

people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/tv-and-culture/reality-tvs-influence-

on-culture.htm. 18 February 2018.

Robert Hodge, David Tripp. ​Children and Television​. Stanford: Stanford University

Press, 1986.

Schneider, Cy. ​Children's Television. ​Chicago : NTC Business Books, 1987.

Steussy, Edwin E. ​A Parent's Guide to the Best Children's Videos​. Los Angeles : Mars

Publishing , 2001.

Troppe, Sheila H. ​Television and Teens​. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 2015,

teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1984/5/84.05.03.x.html. 17 February

2018.
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