Violence on TV: Why it’ s Hurting Our Children
By: Delaney Campbell
In today’ s society watching television is almost unavoidable. They are everywhere, from living rooms to doctor’ s offices to cars. As such, the effect it( particularly the more violent aspects of entertainment) has on our children is also difficult to escape. And what is that effect, exactly? Researchers have pinpointed that violent television may alter a child’ s behaviour and mannerisms.
When a child views violent material for prolonged periods of time, it has a profound impact on their psychological wellbeing. This may result in the development of an anxiety disorder or a fear of the world around them. Once a child has become distrustful of new situations or even environments they have been to before, it can take a lot of time and counselling to correct properly so that they become functional members of society.
Long term studies also show that watching violent television shows and playing violent video games can make children more aggressive. It has also been proven to lower the amount of empathy kids display towards the pain of others. When children view violent acts on television, they slowly become desensitized to real life violent act. They may even believe that violence is the correct way to solve problems, which can lead to acts of bullying on the playground and even the garnering of a criminal record as they grow older.