Violent Television Vs. Educational Television

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Children spend an estimated 1,023 hours watching television per year and only around 900 hours at school. (Benjamin Barber, and Nielsen Media Research, 2003). Since children spend more time in front of the TV rather than at school, they learn from the TV; the things they learn having either a positive or negative effect on their lives. During those 1,023 hours, if the television isn't monitored by a guardian, children are exposed to an extensive amount of violence. The programs broadcasted on television aren't always beneficial to the viewer and don’t always send the right message. According to "How TV Affects Your Child" provided by the KidsHealth website, parents oppose the broadcasting of violent behavior and teach their children right from wrong, but on the other hand, television promotes it, telling their young viewers that it's OK to proceed in aggressive acts. Violence portrayed on television can influence and encourage children to act out and behave violently, but educational television does the opposite. Even though television can be educational and entertaining, it can also danger kids and even result in violent and aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Children who encounter media violence on a daily basis are more violent then those who don't. Violent TV craves attention from it's young viewers and gets just what it wants when kids begin to replicate what is broadcasted. "TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want" (KidsHealth). Children imitate violence because it's an "effective way to get what [they] want," meaning that in order to get what they desire they need to act out violently. According to child behavioral therapist James Lehman, "Children…use violence to get what they want" and when the answer is no "the child gets frustrated and angry and hasn't learned any other

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