How Does Television Influence Prosocial Development?

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To continue, this program sends various different messages to child viewers. According to the course manual “ Males are usually featured as the central characters who work at professions, make important decisions, respond to emergencies, and assume positions of leadership” (Shaffer et al., 2013, p 541). Evidence from Table 1 indicates that the producers of the program are sending out the message that men should behave in this stereotypical manner. An article based on the gender stereotypes in media indicates that most of the gender stereotypes against women are negative. For example, in the television show, a main female character moves into a new house with a new family, due to her moving in, the young boy has to sacrifice his room for this …show more content…

Television can influence prosocial development in several ways. The first is exposure, if children are not seeing prosocial actions during this time of development then there is a possibility that the child will become manipulative and selfish. Watching television programs like Fuller House, allows a child to use social learning skills that could benefit their prosocial development (Padilla-Walker, Coyne, Collier, & Nielson, 2015). By being exposed to prosocial behaviour, the child will enjoy what they are viewing on television and will continue to seek this type of behaviour in other aspects in their lives. For example, in school, prosocial development can increase a child’s self-esteem and help them build healthy relationships with others. This article also indicates that practicing and viewing prosocial behaviour in children reduces the negative outcomes such as anger, depression and bad behaviour (Padilla-Walker et al., 2015). In other texts it explains that children between the ages of two and three years old have the ability to show compassionate behaviour but are not anxious to help others. Watching this television program can accelerate their desire to help others because with the help of social learning they are being exposed to the prosocial behaviour viewed in the television program. In the end, prosocial development and social learning will benefit the child’s well-being (Shaffer et al., 2013, p.

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