Television's Effects on Children

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the effects of television violence on children from the perspective of their cognitive and social development. The paper explains these two perspectives as well as arguments that contend that TV has minimal influence on young viewers and then points out that this point of view is generally countered by statistical information such as that found by Leonard Eron, Ph.D., whose studies have shown that children who watched many hours of TV violence when they were in elementary school tended to also show a higher level of aggressive behavior when they became teenagers.

From the Paper:

"As stated, many scholars and scientists posit the existence of a cognitive window in young children in which they are able to integrate new behavior through experience as dictated by age and brain activity. The left hemisphere of the brain is primarily responsible for integrating language skills, and this critical period of left-brain attenuation is used to explain why children are better able to assimilate language during their formative years. Aside from other implications, this method of research paints a very clear picture of the critical period in terms that are not biologically (in the sense of their mimicking animal function) or process-paradigm based, but instead focus on the actual chemistry and activity of the brain, which is seen to develop new synaptic connections
rather quickly during the critical period and then even out as the child grows older and brain activity is more leveled."

More papers on Television's Effects on Children:

• Analytical Essay # 130641 : "Effect of Television Violence on Children"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 2795 : "The Effects of Advertisements on Children"
• Persuasive Essay # 118120 : "Television Violence and Children"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: