Can watching too much television be bad for youth?

Yes, watching too much television does carry with it many negative side effects. According to Judith Graham, in her article, “How Television Viewing Affects Children” Graham lists several reasons for why too much television is a bad thing. “Studies show that too much television viewing can have adverse affects, such as violent and aggressive behavior, poor school performance, obesity, early sexual activity, and drug or alcohol use”, explains Graham (How Television). For younger children who watch too much television it can affect the development of their motor skills (move, smell, touch, explore, ect.). It is important for children to focus on playing, reading, homework, and interacting with other children their age to ensure healthy development towards adulthood.

In addition to the negative effects stated above, the issue of obesity is the most common in children. Watching television decreases the amount of time a child is able to spend outside getting physical activity. According to the Family Education Network, “eating too much junk food and watching too much television are two major causes for obesity” (How Television). Not only is the amount of television harmful to children, but the things that children watch on television can also affect them. The amount of violence portrayed in television is very alarming and quite disturbing. “Children are imitators and those who watch violent shows are more likely to display aggressive behavior”, explains Graham (How Television). The American Psychological Association Help Center gives three harmful side effects of viewing violence: learning aggressive behavior, becoming desensitized to violence, and creating a fear of being victimized (How Television).

While there are many negative affects to television, there are several positive aspects of television. There has been research that has proven that television done in moderation and with acceptable content in can be beneficial to school age children (How Television). Some shows such as Blue’s Clues, Big Bear in the Big House, and Big Bag can promote educational values and social interaction. The Research Center for Families and Children states that, “television, if properly used in moderation, can stimulate a child’s education and creativity” (How Television).

While there seems to be many positive and negative affects to watching television, the negative affects seem to out weight the positive affects. For a child to successfully transition into adulthood it is important for them to engage with other children and in activities that promote the use of their motor skills. In my opinion the positive affects mentioned in the article can be obtained other ways besides watching television. By reading a book or a magazine a child can learn educational values such as enhancing their vocabulary and improving their grammar. Social interaction is listed as one of benefits of watching television, which I would tend to disagree with. I don’t understand how a child can have social interaction while sitting in front of the television. Social interaction involves communicating with other people and not just sitting in front of a television watching people interact. For these reasons I feel that watching too much television has very few if any benefits and for this reason needs to be monitored.


Samantha <3