While it is true that watching TV affects children, it is difficult to determine whether it is the content of the programs or the length of time spent watching them that has a more significant impact on children. It seems to me that although the amount of time does affect youngsters, it is the content of the programs that has a more marked influence on them.
On the one hand, the consequences of watching TV for long periods of time can be deleterious. Firstly, the longer children are exposed to TV programs, the more likely it is for them to become addicted to watching television. When children become over-reliant on television for entertainment, they might neglect engagement in outdoor activities. This may result in a sedentary lifestyle that is highly detrimental to their physical health. More importantly, excessive TV watching impairs children’s communication abilities, so they find it hard to play or live in harmony with others. As a result, children would feel discouraged from having real interactions with people around them if they spent a huge amount of time in front of the screen, which may hinder their development of social skills.
On the other hand, it is the broadcasted images that have the most direct effects on young viewers. Firstly, in most countries the majority of TV shows present glamorized depictions of inappropriate materials such as violence, drug abuse or casual sex, thus youngsters may adopt unhealthy habits and improper behavior. For example, they might fall under the impression that the use of alcoholic drinks is fashionable without being aware of the health risks they carry and later end up consuming these substances. Besides, in our modern consumer society, commercials also affect how children behave. Unwary young viewers could be easily swayed by captivating advertisements for junk food or video games, products whose target audience includes children, and so may pester their parents to buy these goods impulsively.
In conclusion, although both factors have their own implications, I believe the element with more considerable impacts on children is the content. Hence, parental involvement is essential in controlling children’s TV viewing habits and in shaping a child’s values to help them enter adult life with a healthy mind.