A Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute study published in the November issue of Pediatrics suggests the more violent television preschoolers view, the more likely particularly boys were to exhibit some degree of aggressive behavior in the future. While preschool girls and children viewing non-violent or educational programs showed no aggressive behavior, preschool boys were far more likely to act out.
Researchers gathered data from approximately 8,000 United States families over a period of 40 years in effort to test whether exposure to violent television viewing when children are 2 to 5 years of age would be associated with future antisocial behavior. They reviewed the types of programs watched by 184 boys and 146 girls between the ages of two and five years old in relation to the behaviors displayed afterwards. Television shows such as Power Rangers, Star Wars and American football were classified as violent; whereas, Toy Story and the Flintstones were classified as non-violent and shows like Sesame Street educational.
While many parents consider children's programming and particularly cartoons harmless, researchers suggest many cartoons are deceptively safe. Cartoons depict violence as funny in an arena where there is little consequence. "[In cartoons,] even if people get blown up, they're black for a second and then return to normal -- it conveys the wrong messages about the effects of violence in the real world," said Dimitri Christakis, a lead author of the study. A disconnect exists between fantasy and reality from which young children are unable to differentiate.
"It's not just about watching TV, it's about what children watch," Christakis said. Researchers concluded that modifying content viewed by young children may be necessary.
ABSTRACT: Violent Television Viewing During Preschool Is Associated With Antisocial Behavior During School Age
del.icio.us |
digg |
FURL |
Netscape |
reddit |
Stumble! |
My Web
