Caring children from Violence on Television
Jorge Quintanilla
It is difficult to find a relationship between mathematics and television, but statistics do not lie when we talk about violent scenes in television shows. A sure fact is that when your children leave elementary school and reach 18 years old, they will have seen and witnessed approximately 32,000 murders, 40,000 attempted murders and more than 100,000 other acts of violence in television when according to the American Medical Association. On average, children watch more than twenty hours of TV per week, and fifty four percent of kids have a television set in their bedroom. Television networks do not recognize any links between media violence and real life aggression. Violence is a principal ingredient to shock and hold an audience, to support high ratings for sponsors through more graphic and pervasive violence and it become more acceptable over time, whether in a cartoon or drama, whether humorously or seriously. Exposure to media violence has dangerous effects on children, like learning and imitating, becoming less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, being more fearful of the world around them, and being more aggressive or harmful toward others.
Each family has anecdotes about kids’ superheroes imitation. Some kid tried to fly like Superman and broke his leg; another tried to climb walls like Spiderman and broke his arm. Children will imitate the aggressive behavior they see on television, especially if the behavior is rewarded. Children who watch a lot of television violence not only behave more aggressively, but are more prone to hold attitudes that favor violence and aggression as a way of solving problems. Very young children, who are unable to readily make the distinction between fantasy and reality, tend to believe that everything they see on television is real, no matter if it is cartoon or drama. The way in which the violence is exhibited may suggest to children that violence is the best or only manner to resolve interpersonal conflicts. Children who see Superman and Batman cartoons are more likely to fight, break toys and play roughly.
As a result of imitation, exposure to violent scenes and images, can decrease concern about real-world violence and reduce or diminish sympathy for victims of violence. This desensitizing effect grows over time like the famous Roman Circuses. They started out being a rather disciplined form of entertainment. But in an effort to excite audiences, violence was introduced in the arena settings, consequently the audiences started to demand more and more, and the circuses became brutal, bloody and grotesque and thousands of unfortunate people died in the process of providing entertainment for the masses. On television, the consequences of killing, especially by the “good guy” are rarely shown. Violence and killing are commonly depicted as a ready and even acceptable solution to problems, all problems are solved when the “bad guys” are all dead. According to the National Television Violence Study, most of the high risk portrayals of violence on TV occurred in children’s programs where attractive characters inflicted justified, realistic violence. Remorseless violence on victims appeared to cause few consequences. The only difference between “good guys” and “bad guys” is that “good guys” are more brutal, bloodier, more hard to kill, and the last ones to kill people.
Children who watch a lot of violent television have an exaggerated fear of being victimized and believe that the world is much more violent than it actually is. This is a media effects that influences people’s perceptions of the real world. Therefore, the television world where assaults, shooting and murders are common, translates a belief in the possibility and high probability of violence closer to home. Studies by George Gerbner, Ph.D., at the University of Pennsylvania, have shown that children’s television shows contain about 20 violent acts each hour and also that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the worlds is a mean and dangerous place. During 40 years, Leonard Eron, Ph. D., and his associates at the University of Illinois, found that children who watched many hours of television violence when they were in elementary school, tended to also show a higher level of aggressive behavior when they became teenagers. By observing these youngsters until they were 30 years old, Dr. Eron found that these were more likely to be arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults. Girls who watched more than an average amount of violence tended to throw things at their husbands. Boys, who grew up watching violent television shows increases violence with their wives and cruel punishments for their children. Television is creating aggressive people for future.
Scientists are convinced that children can learn aggressive behavior, be more desensitized, and more fearful about the world. The first step, is to take a look at how the violence is used. We can not eliminate all violence from the media because it is a reality of the human condition. Violence has always been with us and probably always will be. Television programs should alternatives to violence for resolving problems; avoid the implication that violence is justified; incorporate anti-violence themes when the violence is used; avoid playing promos with violent scenes during times children are watching television. Parents need to see at least one episode of the programs their children watch. When they see a violent incident, parents can discuss what caused the character to act in a violent way. They should to point out that this kind of behavior is not used commonly for adults to solve their problems. Parents can limit the amount of time children spend watching television, and encourage children to spend their time on sports , hobbies, or with friends and most important, parents can encourage their children to watch programs that demonstrate helping, caring and cooperation to influence them to become more kind and considerate, and certainly better persons for our society.
