Who Has a Blue's Clue About Children's Television?

In today's society, children are exposed to forms of media that never existed in past generations.   They have the world at their fingertips through the Internet and computer based programs.   According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, playing video games, watching television, and listening to music consumes almost forty hours a week of a child's time.   Children are spending "a lot of time with influences that parents aren't doing much to understand or control."   (Weiner)   The most prevalent of these influences is television, which can play a harmful role in a child's development.  





Television prevents families from spending time together.   While it is true that families can spend time together watching television, this time is rarely quality time.   Family time plays an important role in a child's development.   During family time, children develop a set of morals that will carry them through life.   Television disrupts this part of a child's development when it is viewed in such large quantities that only limited family interaction takes place.   In addition, children may prefer watching television to other family activities.   If not watching television, families could take part in activities such as reading out loud, discussing events in the news, playing a game, or taking a walk, allowing children to develop a rich personality and a sense of belonging.   These are times "through which much of the child's learning takes place and through which character is formed.   Turning on the television set can turn off the process that transforms children into people."   (Winn)   When this family time is neglected and children remain glued to the tube, children are deprived of lessons and values they would have otherwise learned.   Both parents and children should take an active role in establishing more interactive family time instead of television time.   Parents not only have to offer alternatives to television, but also make these activities fun and...