If you turn on the television at around seven-o clock at night, you will see
plenty of violent shows. This violence on television affects the behavior of
children, causing their play to become more aggressive. American parents do not
exercise enough control over their child's television viewing habits, often
using the television as a sort of electronic baby-sitter. Violence is everywhere
in the world of entertainment. Most of the movies in the theaters contain at
least a little bit of violence. Even the popular Star Wars series contains
violent content, such as murder, torture, and dismemberment. Television cartoons
also contain violence, such as Wyle E. Coyote getting run over by a truck and
getting up unhurt, that affects the way children behave. When I was a child, my
siblings and I watched about five to six of hours of television per week, but
from the beginning, our parents explained to us the difference between reality
and fantasy. We knew the real world was not the same as what we saw on
television and at the movies. In contrast, my cousins now watch about an average
of ten hours of television per week and their parents have not quite explained
this concept to them very well. They have not quite grasped the concept of
reality versus fantasy. I have four young cousins. Their ages are twelve, ten,
eight, and seven years old. During the day, the two younger ones watch several
hours of television. When the two older ones come home from school, they
immediately park themselves in front of the television for the next two hours.
Their younger brothers always join them. My cousins usually watch cartons that
have fighting scenes. Sometimes they try to mimic what they see. So, they start
fighting. At first, it is playful, after a while, the fighting gets a little
more serious. At this point, I usually hear one of my cousins crying because
someone hit him too hard. This happens almost every day. Their parents do not
seem to notice what effect these television shows have on their sons. My four
young cousins think that violence is the answer to all problems. For example, if
they do not get what they want from another sibling, they sometimes hit or
threaten to hit that sibling. They think that if they resort to violence, they
will always get their way. I know of several solutions that will help parent`s
control what and how much their child watches. First of all, they have to talk
with their child about what the difference between reality and fantasy is.
Understanding a childs grasp of reality versus fantasy will help parents decide
what shows he or she is mature enough to watch. Secondly, there are other
activities that a child should participate in besides watching television. For
example, parents should encourage them to take up new hobbies to occupy their
afternoons after they finish their homework. Children should also be encouraged
to do more reading instead of watching television at night. Reading helps to
expand a childs vocabulary and will help them do better in school. Thirdly,
parents should buy a television that has a v-chip installed into it. By around
the year 2000, most television will have this as a part of its standard feature.
The v-chip locks out certain channels or shows that contains violence. Only
parents can unlock this function by entering a special code. Some parents might
argue that they would not have time to monitor their childs viewing habits
because they work all day. Another argument might be that they do not have
enough money to buy a television that has a v-chip installed in it. Another
parent might argue about their child going over to their friend`s house to watch
something that they are not allowed to watch at home. How can they keep their
child from doing this? If I were a parent, I would be concerned about my childs
future. If a child is aggressive as a child they will mostly be very aggressive
as an adult. This is one reason why so many crimes are committed. Secondly, ever
adult has authority over their child no matter how old. It just depends on the
degree of authority. I think that children should not have too much freedom or
else they can end up doing something that is harmful to their bodies and their
minds. Watching too much violent shows on television does not help their
development as a person. Therefore, it is imperative that their parents exercise
their authority over their children`s television viewing habits.