History and Evolution of Television: The 1990s

Twenty years ago, most people thought that the lunacy that is now called environmentalism, the idea that animals and plants should be protected on an equal basis with human life, was eccentric. It went against the basic concept of Christian civilization that man is a higher species than and distinct from the animals. That was 20 years ago. And today just about every person seems to think otherwise; there are even laws that say so. This contrary, anti-human view of man being no more than equal to animals and plants was inserted into our consciousness by the suggestion of television. Environmental lunacy was scripted into network television shows, into televised movies, and into the news. It started slowly, but picked up steam. Environmental spokesmen were increasingly seen in the approving glow of television. With most American homes having at least 3 televisions blaring 6 hours a day, society shaping has never been executed with such ease and efficiency. Television induces a trance state in the viewer that is the necessary precondition for brainwashing, temporarily removing the viewers ability to think for themselves while inducing and validating the opinion from the the manufactured data stream.
A major changing trend in television watching in the last decade has been the availability of all types of media, readily available to children all hours of the day. amidst a boom in the of channels and platforms to receive the media. Until recently, informative research into the effects of television watching were minimal and researchers now have disturbing indications into the negative consequence of sitting in front of the T.V.

Television viewing is a major activity and influence on children and adolescents. Children in the United States watch an average of three to four hours of television a day. By the time of high school graduation, they will have spent more time watching television than they have in the classroom.
In a study of preschoolers an television watching, researches where able to chart the increase in behavioral, education and attention disorders with the increase in television watching. The children in households where the T.V. is always on or on most of the time, had much lower social skills and were not interested in reading.

Television promotes idle behavior and when children aren't engaging in the activities they need to help them develop their bodies and brains will become idle. Studies have also found contrary to previous assessments that watching television does not increase attention, promote social skills, or foster creative play."
Children between the ages of 3 and 5 are at a critical stage in brain development for the development of language and other cognitive skills. The extent to which heavy television viewing can influence the development of brain neural networks, and displaces time the child would spend in other activities and verbal interactions, influences early cognitive development.

With one in four children under the age of two having a television set in their bedroom. The same statistics also indicate that the typical American child will be exposed to 12,000 violent acts on television a year. The American Psychological Association Help Center also reveals that children's Television programming alone contains about 20 violent acts an hour.

According to these same studies, young children below school age watch more than eight hours each day. School age children watch a little under eight hours a day. In 1980, the average 20-year-old had watched the equivalent of 14 months of television in his or her brief lifetime.

More recent figures show that the numbers have climbed: the 20-year-old has spent closer to two full years of his or her life in front of the television set. At the same time, the researchers have noted a disturbing phenomena. It seems that we Americans are getting progressively more {stupid}. They note a decline in reading and comprehension levels in all age groups tested. Americans read less and understand what they read less than they did 10 years ago, less than they have at any time since research began to study such things.

All this time spent in front of light flashing box takes a toll, as for writing skills, many Americans struggle to write more than a few simple sentences. The worlds richest nation is now among the least literate population on this planet, and getting worse. More than one study has correlated this increasing stupidity of our population to the amount of television they watch.

Keen parenting can ensure that children have a positive experience with television.The following points are good ways to keep the T.V. to a minimum:

Watch programs with your children

Selecting development appropriate shows

Place limits on the amount of television viewing (per day and per week)

Turning off the TV during family meals and study time

Turning off shows you don't feel are appropriate for your child

In addition, parents can maximize the positive parts of television by encouraging discussions with children about what they are seeing as you watch television with them. Point out positive behavior, such as cooperation, friendship, and concern for others. While watching, make connections to history, books, places of interest, and personal events. Talk about your personal and family values as they relate to the show. Ask children to compare what they are watching with real events. Talk about the realistic consequences of violence. Discuss the role of advertising and its influence on buying. With proper guidance, your child can learn to use television in a healthy and positive way. And remember, Meal times are a good time for family members to talk with each other, not for watching television.

Sources:

http://www.tvturnoff.org

National Institue on Media and the Family
http://www.mediafamily.org

American Psychological Association Help Center, Family and Relationships: Children and Television Violence. http://helping. apa.org/family/kidtvviol.html
Family Education Network, Watching TV with Preschoolers. http://familyeducation.com/ article/0,1120,1-504,00.html
C. Kalin, Television, Violence, and Children. (Master's synthesis paper, Department of Educational Leadership, Technology, and Administration, College of Education, University of Oregon, 1997). http://interact.uoregon. edu/MediaLit/FA/MLArticleFolder/kalin.html