THE IMPLICATIONS OF GROWING UP IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION

By: Jamie Wilson
Short Essay #3
COML 509 Social Dynamics of Communication Technology
Dr. Alexander Kuskis
Gonzaga University
June 27, 2009

The IMPLICATIONS OF GROWING UP IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION

It’s a plain fact that television viewing is increasing, particularly among children. Nielsen Media Research reports, “the average time a U.S. home used a TV set during the 2007-08 television season was up to 8 hours and 18 minutes per day, a record high since Nielsen started measuring television in the 1950’s” (2008, para. 2). The rising trend can be seen among the younger crowd, noting that children ages 2-11 spent 108 hours and 34 minutes per month, while teens, ages 12-17, spent 110 hours and 59 minutes per month in front of the TV (2008, Table 2). But how does this affect our society? The social dynamics and implications of this technology are numerous. In this paper, the discussion will focus on the impact and repercussions that television has on children and teens. The focus will be on their well being, including education, health, and exposure to adult concepts in regards to parental control.

Education

For children, time devoted to consuming technology, such as television, far outweighs other activities, including reading and homework. “The average child spent six hours and thirty two minutes per day exposed to media of all kinds, of which the time spent reading books and magazines – not counting schoolwork about forty-five minutes” (Gitlin, 2002, p. 18). It is safe to assume that after comparing the statistics from children’s viewing habits, a large majority is spent consuming television. If the school age child is in school for an average of seven hours, combined with the above totals, there is little or no room for other activities.

After completing a study of middle-school students, researchers Robyn Ridley-Johnson, Harris Cooper, and June Chance (1983) found that “children whose parents set rules for watching television attained higher I.Q.s and had better grades in school” (p. 296). They also discovered through their study that, “several viewing preferences (sports, family, game, and cartoon shows) were associated with higher math grades” (p. 297). This may be good news for children and parents as some of these shows focus on analytical skills.

Health

Television not only has implications for the mind and school performance, but can also affect a young person’s physical well-being. Families gather around the television set for family nights, eat in front of the TV, and use it as a communal gathering of sorts. In a study reviewing children’s viewing habits along with their body mass index (BMI) from ages five to fifteen at two year intervals, researchers discovered that there is indeed a link (Hancox & Poulton, 2006, p. 171). “At each age, the mean hours of television viewing reported up to and including that age was significantly associated with BMI ” (p.172). Also, researchers were not able to attain a control group of non-viewing subjects and lacked a real concrete example of viewing versus non-viewing individuals. Because of peer group influence, many children are still heavily affected by television regardless of their own consumption levels (p. 174). “Thus, television has altered what is regarded as ‘normal’ childhood behavior – it is difficult to play team sports after school if your potential team-mates are indoors watching television” (p. 174). With the lack of an active lifestyle, many health issues emerge, such as childhood obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) observes the rising trend of obesity in children. “For children aged 2–5 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 12.4%; for those aged 6–11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5% to 17.0%; and for those aged 12–19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.6%” (Centers for Disease Control, n.d., para. 1). The CDC also contributes behavioral factors, among others, for reasons behind child obesity. These include increased amounts of sedentary behavior and lower metabolic rates, mindless snacking in front of the set, and a high exposure to food advertisements (n.d, Contributing Factors section, para. 7).

Exposure & Parental Control

The repercussions that television plays in family life are far reaching. “Dependence on television is training for adaptation to consumer society (Gitlin, 1992, para. 3). Not only are children being turned into little consumers, they are also exposed to ideas without parental control or preparation; Television lacks the filters to differentiate content for different ages (Meyrowitz & Osborn, 1990/1991, para. 2). “TV takes our kids across the globe before parents give them permission to cross the street” (Meyrowitz & Osborn, 1990/1991, para. 2). The fact is, televisions are on and some parents may feel like they have lost the battle. Yet, it is crucial for parents to intervene and become active participants in the viewing process with their children.

Conclusion

To summarize, television is a large part of a young person’s life. While this may seem harmless at first glance, there is sufficient evidence to support the negative social, mental, and behavioral consequences. Viewing consumption should not only be limited by parents, but monitored to gauge the content. Children should also be encouraged to engage in physical and creative thinking activities in an effort to discard their apathetic lifestyle

References

Centers for Disease Control. (n.d.). Childhood overweight and obesity. Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html

Gitlin, T. (1992, Winter). Television and consumption [Electronic Version]. Media & Values, 57. Retrieved June 24, 2009, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article81.html

Gitlin, T. (2002). Media unlimited: How the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Hancox, R., & Poulton, R. (2006, January). Watching television is associated with childhood obesity: but is it clinically important?. International Journal of Obesity, 30(1), 171-175. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Meyrowitz, J. & Osborn, B. (1990 Fall/ 1991Winter). Altered states: How television changes childhood [Electronic version]. Media & Values, 52/53. Retrieved June 24, 2009, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article59.html

Nielsen Media Research. (2008, November 24). Americans can’t get enough of their screen time: Nielsen reports that internet and mobile usage continues to increase, as TV usage rises to an all-time high. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=e6db9c9ba2ecd110VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD

Ridley-Johnson, R., Cooper, H., & Chance, J. (1983, May). The relation of children's television viewing to school achievement and I.Q. Journal of Educational Research, 76(5), 294-297. Retrieved June 25, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.