How TV Affects Your Children -- Tips on Parents about TV Programs

Today is the generation where media affects children and parents are incredibly caught by surprise.  Movies, TV programs, music, internet, mobile phones, other gadgets—all of which have invaded and influenced the lives of many people all over the world.   Kids in particular are the ones benefiting most from this.  A couple of questions to ask: How television affects children? Are the present TV programs good or bad for them?  What is the great impact of TV to children—from local to national to global type of TV programs?

Issues related to TV programs 

First.  Research studies do indicate that quarreling in TV programs can encourage critical physical behavior in young kids.  On TV programs, this is portrayed as acceptable behavior.  By watching these actions, television affects children; they become less sensitive to it in general.

Second.  Kids see hundreds of TV commercials each week.  Few parents could or should buy all the products that commercials teach children to want.  This is one way how television affects the children.

Third.  If television is set is on all the time, TV programs watching can easily become a habit that is hard to break.  Kids need a lot of leisure-time hours to explore on other activities rather than on TV programs alone.

What should parents do?

1.   What parents need to do is limit the amount of time children spend watching TV programs, to avoid them spending too many passive hours.  Don't let long hours on television affects your children.

2.   They need also to monitor the quality of the TV programs.  A number of TV programs are filled with useful information and provide excellent opportunities for the kids, but others prompt undesirable thoughts and feelings in children.

3.   Kids differ from each other in their reactions to the same show, depending on their particular sensitivities or reactions to what they’re watching.  This is also one major factor how TV affects the children.

4.   Be alert to those TV programs that seem to prompt negative responses in your kids, such as excessive anxiety, sleeplessness, bad dreams, increased fears, or stronger behavior.

5.   Tell them how television affects children and what will be the right programs to watch.  Consequently, they will understand why you are restricting their TV programs viewing.

Make TV programs advantageous to Kids

1.   Help them to be critical and evaluate the TV programs they do see.  This will increase their thinking skills and help them to be less gullible.  This way, television affects children positively.

2.   Ask how they would feel if they were treated the way some of the characters are treated.  Tell them when you find something unbelievable on TV programs and seek their opinions.

3.   Many serious problems are presented, explored, and resolved within the brief time block of TV programs.  Discuss how rarely this would happen in real life. Explain them how television affects children like them.

4.   When your kids ask for products seen on TV programs or commercials, buy one and let them compare the difference between what the ads promise and what they actually deliver.  Commercial on television affects children.

Parents should have active participation to know how television affects their children.  As responsible parents, you can make it an enriching experience for them.  With your guidance, your kids can become informed consumers. You can actually teach, train and discipline them by being selective in TV programs they’re watching!


How TV Affects Your Children : Tips on Parents about TV Programs
is a blog post on  Modern Parenting Tips: Styles & Approach to Train & Discipline Children

Other topics to read on:  

• Watching Television: How to Control What TV Programs Your Children are Watching
• Technology: The Dark Side of Internet to the Children
• Computer Games: Bad or Good for Kids