ARGUMENTATIVE WRITNG (ENTRY 7)

VIOLENCE ON TELEVISION AND ITS EFFECTS ON CHILDREN

                  

            There is no doubt that television has changed the world and how we view it. With just the point and click of a button, the viewing possibilities are endless. There are literally hundreds of channels to choose from. Cartoons, sitcoms, news, cooking shows, and music videos fill the airwaves. With so many viewing options, determining what we should be watching has become a great concern, especially when it comes to children. It is no wonder that cable and satellite providers have built in parental controls. Violent and aggressive acts abound on TV. Many times it is children who are viewing these acts. Some people believe that such viewing habits directly affect children. What impact does viewing violence on television have on children?

        There has been overwhelming evidence that suggest viewing violent and aggressive behavior on television directly affect children. They like imaginary play and modeling their favorite characters are commonplace among the young. Children can readily imitate what they see. After repeated viewing they began reciting from memory. This act alone reinforces the idea, that through imitation and repeated exposure children can learn. Learning violence is no exception. It can be imitated and learned in the same manner as how the alphabet was committed to memory. The only difference is when children watch negative behavior, it is that negativity that they learn and mimic. It is not something as harmless as the ABC's.

             What about the children who identify with the bad guys? There are those that argue it is actually the child's own negative disposition that cause aggressive behavior. Children aggressive by nature will have a genre of television shows that encompass a large amount of violence. Their predisposition creates an urge for these types of shows. This concept might hold true as to why they choose shows with violence. The fact of the matter is, allowing these types of children to view violence only encourages their own negative behavior. Because of their predisposition to violence, it only makes sense to closely monitor what they are watching on television. Allowing them to view more aggression can only reinforce their negative behavior, and cause it to become even more pronounced.

            In closing we are not arguing the fact that violence and aggression are widely displayed on television. However we are arguing what effect television violence has on children. Will children who view acts of aggression on television exhibit hostile aggression? The majority of the evidence concludes that the answer is yes. Parents should keep that in mind the next time their children are watching television. Parents are ultimately responsible for what their children view on TV. It is recommended that parents exhibit their responsibility and take control of their children's viewing habits. If your children are regularly watching violent and aggressive shows, change the channel. By doing so you will prevent children out from violent nature.