Introduction
Television shows are very popular with children in the modern society. These shows have overtaken the outdoor games as a favorite leisure activity, especially among the children below twelve years. Games such as hide-and-seek, athletics, and football are not common among children in the current society.
Those who live in urban centers have been more addicted to these shows. There has been a debate in the public domain about the real effect of television shows. While a section of the society argues that television shows are beneficial to children because they are educative, others feel that they have a negative influence on them. Each of the two factions has reasons, which support their opinions.
Children are spending more time watching television shows than ever before despite this raging debate. In this argumentative paper, the researcher seeks to give reasons, which prove that television shows have serious negative influence on children.
Discussion
Exposure to some television shows promotes violence among children. Most of the shows, which are meant for children, contain violence, which may affect children negatively. In these shows, life is demonstrated as being full of physical wars that one must win in order to be considered a hero.
At this early stage in life, children learn a lot from what they see and hear from their immediate environments. They watch movies where heroes kill villain violently in order to achieve victory. The victory they receive after committing such actions show that violence is cool. Children learn very fast and come to realize that the only way they can have their way is through violence.
Most of the cartoons that are very popular among children below ten years also have violent actions that involve destruction of property and even killings. These children would grow up knowing that life is defined by physical force. This may not affect them only, but also people around them.
Television shows have also been associated with risky behaviors, especially among young teenagers. It is not possible to control the channels that children can access in the house. In various cases, children end up watching shows, which are meant for adults. They are exposed to information that may corrupt their minds at very early stages.
Given the fact that they are very curious and eager to learn, they may end up engaging in risky behaviors that may not be good for their own health. For instance, alcoholism among the adolescents has largely been blamed on shows, which present the habit as being cool.
These children would then indulge in these habits seeking acceptance among their peers because of their desire to associate with the characters they see in these shows. In some cases, a child would try to imitate some of the habits they see in the characters at school. This increases cases of indiscipline at school.
Television shows have had serious negative impacts on the physical health of many children. As mentioned before, children now spend most of their time watching television than playing physical games. This affects their normal development.
Physical activities not only help in the development of bones and muscles among children, but also their brain capacity. Reduced physical activities may bring physical complications among children such as obesity, retarded growth, or weak bones that can easily break when little pressure is exerted on them. Some of the television shows advocate for violence.
Television shows such as wrestling always create temptation among children to try the moves made by these professional wrestlers. Several cases of broken bones or even death have been witnessed as young children try to practice these dangerous moves. When they see these activities in their screen, they believe it is normal and can be practiced without straining.
Conclusion
Television shows may have a number of good benefits for children in our modern society. However, its negative impacts far outweigh these benefits. Children who are constantly exposed to violent shows may end up being violent. They cannot reason rationally like adults to realize that what they see is fiction. Some children are exposed to adult contents, which may make them develop risky behaviors that may have serious consequences in their life today, and in future.
Health experts have also insisted that television shows have reduced the time that children spend in physical activities. This makes them vulnerable to health problems such as obesity, coronary diseases, and weak bones. Parents may not have control over what these children watch. This makes the situation even more delicate. Their curiosity to learn about various issues, especially those that parents prohibit them from, put them at serious risks in their normal development.