The harm and benefits of television for young people

TV is part of many people’s childhoods, it’s certainly part of mine. Countless hours have been spent looking at that big screen learning, watching and fighting over the remote control.

Certain shows teach a person values that they will take on for the rest of their life like values, vocabulary and skills.

TLC as a channel has shows like “ My 600lb life” and “ Little people, big world” educate teens about the dangers of obesity and how to cope with bullying. These qualities are important in a 21st century life as cyber bullying about weight, looks and disabilities are very prominent, as well as physical and emotional bullying. These shows also show the importance of family and the benefits of a family sticking together and supporting each other.

Shows like “ MasterChef” and “ Chopped” teach growing teens how to cook so they can provide for their families in the future. MasterChef has over 10 seasons with no signs of stopping, which shows that critics and viewers enjoy the show and its educational values. Not only do these shows teach you how to cook but they also show how different people respond to being put into a team environment. Many people who start MasterChef lose as they didn’t preform on the day of the competition, this can help teenagers to cope with loss and teach them to try until they get to where they want to be.

Although TV can help growing children and teenagers, it can also harm their physical and mental growth if they don’t limit their viewing time. Extended time spent in front of the TV can cause growth stints in young children as they do not go outside and release all their energy. TV can also teach teenagers wrong values like taking drugs or cheating on your spouse when you are older. Young children can also learn bad language from shows that they are not meant to watch.

Even though shows like “ Friends” or “ How I met your mother” show images of people getting drunk or have bad language they can also teach teenagers about the importance of socializing with other strangers and friends. Shows like these teach introvert teenagers to make friends, progress in life and how to cope with losing a friend or spouse. These values are extremely important for teens as we have no idea what to do when things don’t go the ways we planned.

TV helps many people, not just young children or teens, in many different ways. TV can show the struggles of others and how they get through these struggles, it can teach you skills that you will use throughout the rest of your life and also teach you how to socialize and make new friends (which is important for children and teens). TV is a necessity for 21st century kids and teens in order for them to grow with busy parents, it’s not just something to do as soon as you get home from school.