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Topic 150 Is watching TV bad for children?

Everything consists of goodness and badness. People cannot evaluate something only by its benefit or only by its harmfulness. This is why I disagree with the point that watching television is bad for children. I admit that if the children do not watch TV properly, such as watching television excessively or seeing something unfit for them in TV, watching TV would do harm. However, watching TV can benefits children if they make good use of it. Watching TV can help children learn a lot of knowledge in an interesting way, can be a good entertainment for children, and can help children manage their time. In those senses, watching TV is not bad for children.

First of all, most TV programs for children are designed in an interesting way, which is easier for children to understand. For example, a lovely presenter tells a beautiful story with attractive frames on TV and at the same time she introduces some knowledge to her young audience. Thus, children can get knowledge by listening to a story.

Secondly, watching TV can be a different form of various entertainments from what children are accustomed to. Most children like animated cartoons that give them charming images. Some children may enjoy their time in children entertainment TV programs and may also enjoy watching other children performing in TV. Hence, watching TV is another entertainment for children.

Lastly, watching TV can help children make good use of their time. Many TV programs have their certain times. Children always know the show times of their favorite programs. If they want to watch these programs on time, they should complete others things by that time. In other words, children have to be quicker in their other activities. Thus, watching TV can be an active help when children plan their time.

I do admit that watching TV properly needs direction of the parents. Yet, we cannot doubt watching TV is good in some ways for its teaching knowledge to the children, for its entertaining the children and for its well effecting on children's time. I believe most adults today can still remember how their favorite children TV programs benefited them when they were children.

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Topic 150 Is watching TV bad for children?

Television has increased the speed at which news travels and it can bring situations and images into our homes that previous generations would not have had the opportunity or regret to witness.

Television is commonly criticized as being bad for children that an important fact sometimes gets overlooked. In my personal opinion some types of television viewing may actually enhance children's intellectual development.

Television contains an enormous variety of forms and content. The effects of television viewing depend on program content and genre. According to a research, young children who spent a few hours a week watching educational programs such as Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Reading Rainbow, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Wizard's World and 3-2-1 Contact had higher academic test scores 3 years later than those who didn't watch educational programs. On the other hand, children who watched many hours of entertainment programs and cartoons had lower test scores than those who watched fewer hours of such programs. Good educational programs can provide lasting benefits to children.

Children are most likely to become actively engaged with television content that is neither too easy nor too difficult to comprehend, that is, content that provides some challenges, but also allows a child to gain a sense of mastery. Just like our muscles, the brain gets stronger when it is used, and atrophies when it is not used. It seems that lack of use also leaves it vulnerable to degeneration later in life.

Of course, there are some bad sides for children to watch TV. Our TV-watching children increasingly view life as an entertainment extravaganza, in which they yearn to play a starring role, and here the nasty content of so much modern broadcasting comes into play. Besides, it is hard to watch an evening of TV without encountering unspeakable violence, whose perpetrators are celebrated. Again, the effects of television viewing depend on program content and genre, and parents should teach their children on choosing the right TV program to watch.

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