Effects of media on young children

¶ … theories surrounding the subject of violence and the media. Some experts such as Jensen (2006) assert that television has no effect on children while others like Dudley (2005) and McLellan (2002) argue that even a small amount of television can have detrimental effects on a child or adult, making them more susceptible to violent behavior and disorders like ADD or ADHD. Depending on whose word you take, and which studies you believe, it is possible to come to any number of conclusions. However, the studies which show a strong correlation between the number of hours a child watches television, particularly violent television, and the violent crimes committed by juveniles, leave out a few very important considerations. These considerations, when paired with other perspectives and opinions lead toward a more reasonable conclusion that while there can be some detrimental effects from watching television, children a no more or less likely to commit violent crimes or become ADHD from watching television as they are from any other activity. The type of programming is very important (Jensen, 2006), as with any substance or stimulant. Without this consideration, studies and opinions do not have any relative bearing with which to find common ground.

Violence

The idea that violent television or media programming causes violent behavior seems like a logical assumption. More and more children have access to televisions (Schmidt and Vandewater, 2008) and video games, and there have been numerous school shootings and other violent events which have sparked some major studies and have led to the widely-accepted idea that violent television shows and video games turn kids into violent teenagers and adults (Dudley, 2005). But similar arguments have been made throughout American history. Specifically, it was argued that rock and roll music caused deviant sexual behavior, and that the music itself led to drug use and juvenile delinquency. We now know that this is not particularly true. Some parts of American society were threatened by their inability to relate to and understand the youth culture of the time and tried to blame the ills of society on one of the easiest, most ambiguous, norm-threatening entities in existence at the time, which was rock and roll music and culture. We also now know that rock and roll music didn't create a scourge of drug use or sexual promiscuity. These two commonly-obsessed over issues were prevalent in the youth culture before rock and roll music, and it was only with the detachment of the previous generation from being able to fully relate to the younger one that these explanations for societal problems arose.

Bearing this fact in our minds, it is possible to take a more accurate, more informed look at what the experts are telling us about the correlation between violent behavior and television watching. Instead of television creating the violent behavior, there are likely other factors that lead to this behavior in the first place which correlate well with heavy television watching. One of them is the fact that those children who are watching violent programming are already at a higher risk for behavioral violence. They are far more likely to sit in front of a television to keep them busy while mom or dad is away at work trying to make ends meet (Jensen, 2006). These children, who are already predisposed to be more likely to commit violent crimes, are subject to more television than their more education-concerned counterparts.

McLellan's (2002) argument about the connection between WWF wrestling and violent behavior in children is an excellent example of this false connection between television and violence. The demographics of WWF viewers likely coincides very well with the lower class, and thusly children who are watching WWF wrestling, or other violent television, already have many other economic and demographic risk factors that could contribute to violent behavior (Jensen, 2006). These children, as well as their parents, seek out the WWF to justify and reinforce their own perspectives. If these perspectives can be successfully reinforced with programming such as WWF wrestling, are already aligned with violent behavior (McLellan, 2002). The television shows are reinforcing their need to reinforce and actualize this world view and mind set. These perspectives, if the children who play video games for hours every day could also be seeking out those video games in an attempt to actualize their violent thoughts and feelings. Demographics evidence would also agree with this statement, since those who are not at a high risk to commit violent crimes are likely not seeking out the violent television programming and video games.

Attention Deficit Disorder and Television

Some studies show a strong correlation between the amount of television a child watches and the likelihood that they will suffer from ADD later in life (Schmidt and Vandewater, 2008). Other studies show no correlation between them at all. Television has the unique ability to grab a child's attention and draw them into the programming, so the content of the programming seems to matter more than the amount of television a child watches. Studies have shown that children who watch educational programming, which has been around ever since televisions have, are far more likely to benefit from that programming in a positive way (Schmidt and Vendewater, 2008). Just as children who watch violent television shows are likely to reflect these norms and values behaviorally.

For a child who is already ADD or ADHD, a television is an excellent way to self-medicate (Schmidt and Vendewater, 2008). They can have access to thousands of channels and can finally become satiated with the amount of programming and visual and auditory stimuli being created by the television. For those who are already predisposed to ADD, television and video games can be an excellent way for them to both communicate and learn (Schmidt and Vendewater, 2008). Children who are already at high risk for ADD in adulthood already watch television at high levels as a child, and these levels often predict the amount of television they will likely watch as they become adults. For a researcher to say that television actually creates ADD or ADHD is irresponsible. The high levels of television watching are a symptom, which in time adds to the already high risk of childhood ADD in those children who are allowed to watch many hours of television per day.