Television offers many educational benefits to children: For thousands of years, television has been a vehicle through which children have been able to receive educative messages that have shaped their society and our lives in general. Through television, children are exposed to a wide variety of informational content that teaches them basic life skills, such as how to communicate, how to behave, and how to work cooperatively in a community. In addition, through television, children develop an understanding of time and how it affects the world around them. Through television, children are also exposed to fictional characters who may reinforce values that children may already hold. Finally, children develop an appreciation of beauty, which is demonstrated in their constant attempts to be the most beautiful thing on television.
Children develop a strong connection to television when they watch it with their parents. It is common for parents to remain in front of the television during long stretches at work, while the children stay with the grandparents to watch television. Because of the power of television to make strong emotional impact on young people, TV can serve as a catalyator for young people learning about societal norms by getting books about the same topics or watching fictional programs in the same genre. Furthermore, parents are often more likely to be attentive to a child’s behavior and television programs provide young children with an opportunity for socialization.
However, television can also have negative effects on children. Viewing too much television has been found to cause increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in viewers. Viewers are also at a greater risk for serious violence in households, including domestic violence, teenage suicide, and aggressive behaviors among viewers. Young people can use media literacy to counteract the negative impact of excessive television consumption. By being aware of the ways in which television messages influence the attitudes, behaviors, and choices of young people, viewers can take steps toward limiting the influence of the media on their lives.
There are several measures that families can take to ensure that their children are exposed to as many positive messages as possible. Parents should schedule time for television watching during young children’s naps and play sessions, especially if the child is unable to participate in television programs or sports during the day. The Sesame Street TV show has consistently demonstrated that it is possible to produce compelling, intelligent, and well-rounded entertainment that young people will enjoy. In addition, parents can purchase educational books and DVD’s that feature great educational TV programs, movies, and shows. The Saturday morning kids show on ABC serves as an excellent introduction to many popular and educational TV shows, songs, and movies that young people will enjoy.
Another way parents can help combat the negative impact of excessive television is to keep track of various TV ratings and reviews. The U.S. television industry has developed ratings systems that allow viewers to rate TV programs on a wide array of different categories, including audience response, program quality, characters, and special features. Viewers who leave comments on television shows and movies can provide valuable information about the show and how it is being received by audiences. Many television viewers also rate various TV programs and movies based on overall TV experience. In many cases, viewers will rate their TV after seeing a few episodes and will not rate the program or movie until they have completely enjoyed it.
The advantages of using a live streaming service over traditional television are striking. While using a streaming service may not give you the very same degree of interactivity that you would get with cable or satellite TV, live streaming TV provides a great way for you to enjoy all of the benefits that come with a high definition TV programming package and at a much lower cost than typical cable or satellite subscriptions. If you are looking to save money, you should definitely consider signing up for a live streaming TV subscription to help you save money on both programming and additional fees that may accompany traditional television subscriptions.