Growing up TV was a privilege but anymore TV seems to be an all-consuming necessity of our everyday lives. A long-running argument that may never be settled is whether or not TV is good or bad for children. As someone who does not have children, my viewpoint may help round out the pros and cons and help make a more informed decision on whether TV is a force for good or bad when it comes to children.
Everything in life has pros and cons with it and in like all things we know what we should and shouldn't do. We know that too much of anything can be bad for us and some of us over indulge, do we not? TV for children can be seen the same way, psychologists believe that depending upon the age of the child TV is a no go as it hinders the communication skills between parent and child but otherwise is ok at least in moderation (1). Children learn from watching whether they are watching TV, other kids at school, parents, or other grown ups they are always watching and learning.
Knowing that children learn from watching would it not be safe to say that some TV shows and even too much TV can be bad for them? Anymore, while some TV shows may seem geared towards kids or be a cartoon or animated may not at all be a good force for children to watch (2). Whether or not the study of "SpongeBob Squarepants" truly being a terror to the minds of children is debatable by some it all boils down to age appropriateness along with the reason for watching TV (3). There is a time for everything and while I prefer watching TV for educational reasons when possible I also enjoy TV shows ranging from Classic cartoons I grew up on and some even newer ones to watching more age appropriate shows.
The sad reality though is in today's society from seeing how other parents parent their kids to even personally seeing my friends parent. The truth is TV has become a babysitter rather than a privilege or even a treat for the kids. Instead of spending quality time with their kids or giving them productive things to do the go to is sitting them in front of the TV regardless of whether or not it is educational or not. More often times than not it is something noneducational like "SpongeBob Squarepants" (4).
So, to end this TV can be good or bad for children it is all dependant upon how one uses it. It is ok to indulge and over indulge now and then however, for the sake of the kids age appropriateness shows should be a must for the TV to be a force for good. Children learn from watching and if they watch something that is not age appropriate they will learn things they shouldn't and could end up doing something they shouldn't which can explain so much in the world today.