TV and Children in America

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

TV is thought by some to be "turning our childrens' brains to mush" as my geometry teacher would say, and I wanted to see what people here thought of TV for kids.

TV can be good or bad in my opinion, some programs help small kids learn, some are mindlessly violent, some are biased news shows, some are sports, the list goes on and on. I think that some shows are fine, but parents are sometimes too lenient. Letting children watch TV when they should be studying or doing homework is a bad idea, and watching some shows at all is a bad idea. Many parents are too strict, and many are way too lenient, but in moderation, some programs can help kids with their educations, so not all TV is bad.

So, do you think TV is good always/in moderation/never/etc?

 

[ArcPoint]

As long as they understand what they're watching... then they shouldn't have a problem... just tell them "No, dressing up like a stripper is not acceptable dressing" I mean, you should still be parenting throughout their TV experience. I mean, if you watch TV all the time, but have good parents who tell you what is right and what is wrong, I don't see a problem.

 

[Fire!]

There isn't that much that we can all come to a conclusion because it comes back to personal opinion. A TV is just a tool, just like a Hammer or Wench as it is only as smart as the person using it. As what can be expected, I think it’s the parent/guardian’s job as to how the TV is used.

The problem is when the parent/guardian thinks that their child is ready to be exposed to the harsh realities of life. If all you do is let your kid watch the Discovery Channel and PBS, then they’re going to be in for a major reality check when they learn about Nazi’s and the KKK. If you let your kid watch whatever they like, then they won’t be able to comprehend right from wrong and eventually, they will make a wrong decision.

 

[:mad:]

TV is a subject I never thought I'd see here. I'd have to agree with firemario149 right here. It's up to the parents to teach children what they see isn't going to be reality. People die daily, and your friends in school will just be competition for a job.

The parents could very easily watch TV with their kids, but I say limiting channels only piques the child's curiosity. You do see the stupidest shows on, nowadays. Every kid show today absolutely has to have a lesson, or teach you a life skill. I despise these. The greatest shows on TV were during the 90's. Animaniacs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and everything on Nickelodeon. Those were just there to be funny, and not help children. If I were still young, I would feel conflicted after watching a show like Barney, then witnessing a robbery at a gas station the next day. This purple dinosaur I had once endeared has lied to me. The world is not a safe place. How dare theyyy.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

I too agree that parental regulations and teachings can affect what children take from the shows that they watch. If parents make sure kids aren't desensitized to violence, then they'll take away some entertainment and nothing more from a violent show. If parents let their children watch these shows with no explanation or anything, they'll think what they see is fine. But some teachings from TV can be slightly misleading or just stupid, and will not prepare children for the world around them.

I like Straked's example with the Barney then robbery example, those shows are stupid. They tell kids that the world is a safe place to be, and that will be a rude awakening when something bad happens in the future. Shows that expose the real world, in addition to parents telling kids what really goes on around them can help them in the future more than completely pampering them and making them feel like they can run the world. Kids that are brought up like that will often end up not knowing what to do in bad situations. Reality helps kids. Kids get kidnapped, *****, killed, etc. Horrible things happen every day, and if children realize that, maybe not from a small age though, they can know how to deal with bad situations in the future.

 

[:mad:]

Well, I see where you'd coming from there. I just don't think TV is meant to do anything but entertain you, it's just too bad some people take it so seriously. I mainly only watch it for football, or standup.

Honestly, parents are to blame for any TV related problems. The networks warn you, the actual shows warn you. If a parent doesn't like something they see, they'll sue. Instead of producing these upbeat, happy shows that teach you nothing, they should start making 1 good show that teaches you everything. I can't actually think of a good way of explaining it. A TV show that tells kids that the world sucks, but you can deal with it. Something along those lines. But nothing like the Wiggles...

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

Yes, definitely. Just something that subtly shows the real world to children without totally freaking them out. Just teach kids in a "fun" way how to deal with issues in life, and basic life skills that will help them later on.

 

[:mad:]

So basically "Barney with Guns".
Hey, they'll have to learn some time. And I'm not even kidding.

 

[.Marik]

Television is horrible now.

Either it's ******** reality shows, make believe cartoons that teach you nothing, or sex shows, most likely a child has already been exposed to the "harsh realities of life".

Hell, you watch the news. Bam. There goes your innocence. You take a walk outside. Gone. You sneak downstairs to watch television on a Friday-Saturday night, bam. You have now witnessed sex and sexual activity on your moniter. Innocence gone. Reality check, get.

There's nothing you can actually do about it. As for the parents, they could supervise their child, but every single child needs to grow up some day. As for restricting certain channels, their curosity WILL get the better of them, and they'll eventually find out what it was the parents were hiding from them.

Welcome to the 21st century.