Violence On Tv Essay, Research Paper

Before the age of seven, on average, every child has seen at least 8,000 acts of murder on television (Hepburn 2). Children watch up to twenty-three hours of television a week. Some parents want their child to watch educational programming at least three of those hours (Charren 3). Television violence, because of its effects on children, should be more strictly controlled. It is said that children watch 200,000 acts of violence and 40,000 acts of murder by the age of eighteen (Graham 1). On average 6,000 hours a week on television shows have violent scenes, and these shows are on twenty-three major network channels. For example; NBC, ABC, HBO, the list goes on (Stamper 1). 99% of all American families have a television set in their home. Often, families have two or three television sets in their houses. On average, family members watch forty to ninety hours of television a week, but they don’t always watch the shows together as a family (Hepburn 3). There should be more television watched as a family, so that you can control what your children are watching (Hepburn 7).

Violence effects children in both school and family life. Many people treat violence as a joke(Hepburn 1). In school if a kid gets beat up, everyone laughs and makes jokes about it. Teachers and school boards are worried that if a child sees violence on television, he or she will act this out in the classroom or at home (Barnhart 5). Wrestling shows like WWF or WCW cause kids to act like the wrestlers do, how they fight, the sexuality, and even the flipping off of the middle finger. “Is letting your child watch violent cartoons okay”(Schroeder 1)? The answer is no, because when a child sees their favorite super hero kill “the bad guy,” the child often thinks that they can be a hero by acting violent(Hepburn 1). When parents let children play with a super hero toy at home, they’re sending a message that violent play is acceptable.

When children are watching violent programs, does the super hero have a good or bad influence on them? X-Men, Batman, and The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers are all children’s television shows that contain violence. Take for example, The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers. They win by the end of each show, and they do it every time by killing their opponent. What kind of signal is that putting out to young children (Hepburn 3)? At school, kids act out the moves and kicks of their favorite super heroes (Saban 3). Often, when there is a violent television program on, the commercials are violence related (Schroeder 1). In 1997, the Department of Defense spent 37.3 million dollars on television commercials (Graham 1). Kids need to be watching less violent programs, and their commercials.

By definition, violence is an overt depiction of a credible threat of physical or mental force, or the actual use of such force intended to physically harm any animal being, or a group of beings (Stamper 1). Television effects children mentally and physically. Physically, when children see violence, they feel the need to act this way on friends, or at home. This could result in children being hurt (Stamper 1). When a child sees violence, they could get addicted to it, and it could make the child go crazy in the mind. Parents should limit the child’s watching time to ten hours a week (Hepburn 1).

Violence messes up a child’s life socially, in school, and at home. Do you think that a child wants to hang around with someone who is going to beat him up? No, the child is going to want to hang out with another child who is playful, and courteous(Hepburn 6). When a child watches too much T.V., that takes away from family time. Parents need to discuss with their child what they should be doing with their free time (Stamper 1).

Since T.V violence effects children so much, parents should have stricter control on what they watch. Children’s super heroes use violence to win, and that isn’t good for the child’s mind. You’re sending a message saying that it’s okay to act violent. Violence effects children’s actions toward others, and themselves. Violence has many serious effects on a child. By controlling television violence, you control how your child acts.

Works Cited By:

Barnhart, Aaron “Rating TV Ratings.” Kansas City Star 6, March 1997 1 to 6.

“Effects On Young People” Encyclopedia World Book 1998, 1 to 1.

Graham “Violence on Television Initiative.” SIRS 5, Feb. 1995 1 to 5.

Hepburn, Mary A. “TV Violence! A Medium’s Effect On Scrutiny.” SIRS 8 September 1997 1 to 8.

Schroeder, Ken “TV Violence.” Proquest 2, Jan. 1999 1 to 2.

Scripps, Howard, “TV Violence may work against pitching products.” Proquest 1 December 1998, 1 to 1.

Stamper, John “Study Of TV Violence Sees Added Risk For Young Children.” SIRS 2, April 1998 1 to 2.