We Must Stop Violence on Television

Society must be aware that the portrayal of violence has found its way into almost every possible aspect of visual entertainment, including television, in the American society. By these youngsters repeatedly being exposed to violence, and taught that violence reaps benefits, a direct link is formed between violent content and a child�s behavior. The truth is, children today witness violence even when watching cartoons which are presumed to be safe. The process of children becoming the criminals of tomorrow due to the content of television shows must be halted at once.

Children spend numerous hours in front of the television set; therefore, they tend to grow numb to the brutality in front of their eyes. For example, a child may be initially disgusted by a murder scene, but if he/she watches it numerous times, the blood no longer triggers gasps and the agony that the victim experiences no longer ignites sorrow from the young viewer. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, �[c]hildren who watch a lot of TV are [�] less bothered by violence in general, and less likely to see anything wrong with it�(�Violence of Television�). Truthfully, the fact that young children may become less affected by violent scenes may seem to be an insignificant claim to some. However, the concern lies not with a child�s current perception of violence, but with what that nonchalant perception may evolve in the future. Leonard Eron, Ph.D. of the University of Illinois understood this and �found 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�(�Violence on Television�). As if this w...

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...ty broadcast to the young public through television shows, even cartoons. Overexposure to the source and the suggestion that violence prevails creates a relation between television shows and youngsters actions. Despite the beliefs that that the link is irrelevant, one must look past them to the evils that will develop from children witnessing violence and the threats that the young viewers will become to the optimism of peace in society. These evils can and should be prevented at all costs.

Works Cited

Hollings, Ernest F. �Save the Children.� New York Times 23 November 1993. Rpt. in Current Issues and Enduring Questions. 6th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford, 2002. 717-719.

�Violence on Television-What Do Children Learn? What Can Parents Do?� American Psychological Association. 27 March 2003. .