In Tele[re]vision, researchers take another look at television. Society is used to hearing the negative effects of television and how it ties in with failing grades and obesity in our children of today. Nicknames given to the television are “boob tube” and the “idiot box.” The average child watches about 4 hours of television, when the recommendation for any child older than the age of two is 2 hours of educational programming. Some researchers are working towards showing that some television can be good for children. Through their research, they have “improved educational programming for children, pinpointing what engages their developing brains and how they learn as they watch.” Now they are researching to see if the children are actually learning the lessons provided in the television programs. Many programs are aimed toward teaching prosocial lessons, which teach manners, healthy eating habits, how to treat others, etc. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is one of the television shows used as an example. A program’s positive influence can be just as strong as a violent program’s negative influence.
As a child growing up, I remember watching Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. Although it has been several years since I have last seen an episode, I remember learning some very helpful lessons from the episodes. Some of the lessons I remember learning were using what I had and that if anything was important to me, it was a valid thing. He taught individuality and embraced self-esteem. He helped me and several thousands of other kids grow up to appreciate what they had and to feel important, no matter what. From my past experiences and with help of this article, I can conclude that television is pretty much just like any other technology or item of society today; it has its pros and cons, and depending on how it is used, it can be a positive influence or a negative influence.
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