Is Television a Necessary Evil
Any Negative Effects on Kids
Modern technologies have transformed the way we live. Television as a medium of
entertainment and knowledge has been with us for a long time, but not until recently do we discuss the effects of TV on children. Some think it should be encouraged in education to assist traditional teaching, others think TV may not be the ideal tool for educating the young.

The fact that France has legislated against TV use of children under a certain age shed some light. The French argues that TV would limit one’s imagination when exposed to it under a certain age, and advocates books instead for early education. With our experiences with TV watching it’s not hard to notice the drawbacks of this medium.

First of all, there are violent and sexual contents on the screen and we can never be 100 percent sure that our children is not watching TV without our knowledge. And then there is the problematic advertising that’s gaining young audience’s attention with confusing messages. For instance, the fast food brands and confectionery companies will take over the TV screen during the hours children are likely to be watching telly. This arguably leads to the problem of obesity in many western countries.

Some other effects of TV advertising can cause deeper issues. Take gender stereotyping for example, the marketeers may send misleading messages unconsciously to young female audiences who are told to wear pink and be defined by theirattractiveness to boys. In my view, TV can be a useful means for teaching, but the length of watching must be limited and the
advertising be highly regulated. It would be a nice supplement to books if we make sure the young audiences are properly protected.
Sources: Google, The Momoh's Place