Influence of Television on Young Children Assignment - 6

Influence of Television on Young Children - Assignment Example Almost every household in the U.K and many other countries in the world have a television set. The television serves to entertain, inform and educate the audience depending on the program that is being watched. It is quite evident that young children are never left behind when it comes to watching television. Experts note that children should be allowed to watch TV judiciously and moderately if they have to benefit from it and are quick to warn that young children can be negatively influenced by the content they watch on TV.  In as much as television may have positive influences on young children, it is greatly associated with several ills.   For one, studies have shown that when children watch violent programs on TV, they tend to emulate the violent â€Å"heroes† that they see and act violently toward their peers, animals, and even older people.   For example, when they watch Steven Seagal acting in The Glimmer Man, young children believe the actor is a hero and may act like they see him do against their peers.   Furthermore, children may adopt risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking as a consequence of what they see on television according to kidshealth.org. Other negative influences of TV on children include reinforcing racial and gender-role stereotypes.   In conclusion, Television may have good or bad influences on young children depending on how much and what they watch.