can Media violence lead to aggressive behavior in children?

Question

How much TV can our children watch? Are cartoons good or bad for our kids?

Answer 1

Well I won't let my son watch violet cartoons. My son is 2 1/2 and I will allow him a half hour of TV a day . But I will also let him watch a movie too if he wants. I just try and limit the tv shows as of now.

Answer 2

Absolutely! Many studies have been done and researchers have decided that media violence does contribute to aggressive behavior in children, as do violent video games; this is why we have ratings. Cartoons can be good or bad. As a parent, common sense is required, monitor television viewing and limit the TV time; there are many other positive things your children can, and should be doing.

Answer 3

Nope I don't beleive so. My daughter watched her share of "media" violence (her favorite charcter being Freddy Kruger) and she has never been violent herself. Of course I limited her television watching to an hour a day when she was younger, now at 21 she can watch for however long she chooses. She wasn't really a "cartoon" watcher, she prefered live actions progams like Sesame Street and she loved to watch the late Bob Ross on his PBS show painting. The only cartoon I can remember her ever watching was BeetleJuice. I wasn't a big cartoon watcher either when I was little. In fact they scared me. When I was two and three my "bedroom" had once been our dining room as my step sisters got the only other bedroom in our two bedroom home, so I would sneak out of bed late at night and turn on the televisin and watch the late night programs which were usually horror filcks. My mom or dad would be awakened by the noise and come in turn off the televisin and drag me back to bed...never had any nightmares until I reached adulthood.

Answer 4

The "Bobo Doll Experiment" http://academic.evergreen.edu/h/hiljus01/bobo.htm is one of the earliest and most often quoted study on the development of aggressive behavior. I tend to believe it, although I personally don't have more recent evidence. One pediatrician has said that, even if the total number of violent crimes hasn't changed much, the "curve has shifted," such that the *tendency* for aggressive or violent behavior has increased. Again, I have no evidence.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents do the following:
1. Limit children's total media time (with entertainment media) to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day.
2. Remove television sets from children's bedrooms.
3. Discourage television viewing for children younger than 2 years, and encourage more interactive activities that will promote proper brain development, such as talking, playing, singing, and reading together.
4. Monitor the shows children and adolescents are viewing. Most programs should be informational, educational, and nonviolent.
5. View television programs along with children, and discuss the content. Two recent surveys involving a total of nearly 1500 parents found that less than half of parents reported always watching television with their children.5,47
6. Use controversial programming as a stepping-off point to initiate discussions about family values, violence, sex and sexuality, and drugs.
7. Use the videocassette recorder wisely to show or record high-quality, educational programming for children.
8. Support efforts to establish comprehensive media-education programs in schools.
9. Encourage alternative entertainment for children, including reading, athletics, hobbies, and creative play.

Answer 5

I believe this 100%. My family watches TV together. My husband & I are the censors. We don't rely on the media to decide what is right or wrong. The movies and video games are also included in this. The computer is also under our control. I am a Pagan, but I agree with you. How can a child of any religious background to become a compassionate and ethical person if they are subjected to casual sex & violence?

Answer 6

my daughter repeats and interprets everything...so i really have to supervise what she hears and watches....she likes to watch TV so when i feel shes watching to much that day i turn it off and say why don't we do something else, like play with her toys or draw a picture and she usually goes for it....she's 2 so i don't mind her watching Dora or blues clues because the things she is repeating are usually numbers or colors....but if someone swears around her she will repeat it...so i ask them not to talk like that around her...so i definitely think what kids see on TV effect their behavior especially at a very young age...parents should definitely supervise what their children watch until they are old enough to understand right and wrong and whats pretend and real

Answer 7

I let my kid watch cartoons i watched cartoons when i was little and nothings wrong with me.

Answer 8

Can it? Yes!
Does it always? No!
Some cartoons are & some are not.
The best bet is for parents to be parents, monitor what your children see & listen to as best you can and teach them what is right & wrong about it.

Answer 9

its certain things your child should be able to watch because some shows are to explict for a child of young age

Answer 10

and what's wrong with violent cartoons?