Preventing violent behavior in children may be as easy as turning off the television.
Researchers looked at the effects of a 6-month school-based program on limiting TV and video game time. Children at one school participated in the program and were given an electronic TV-time manager to take home. The researchers then compared their aggressive behavior and perceptions of the world with children at another school that did not run the program (the "control" group).
To measure aggression, the researchers questioned the children's parents and peers, and observed the children on the playground.
According to the study participants and their parents, the program got children to cut their TV time by one-third and limit their video game playing.
Moreover, the investigators found that compared with children in the control group, the program appeared to reduce kids' aggressive behavior, according to their peers. Children in the program were also less likely to see the world as "mean and scary".
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine January 2001;155:13-14, 17-23
No earth shattering news here. But if you haven't realized the importance of rigid restriction of your children's exposure to this pernicious influence I would encourage you to click on the links below.
I particularly enjoyed the study how watching TV actually contributes to one going into debt.
I removed all access to commercial television in my home shortly after the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan finished their dominance of the NBA. It has been my experience that merely keeping the cable or TV hooked in the house and trying to use discipline to control your viewing is rarely possible. There always seems to be just one show that you want to watch and before you know it you are hooked it to watching a few more.
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