The influence of media (such as video games, violent television, etc.) Term Paper

The influence of media (such as video games, violent television, etc.) on children - Term Paper Example Our children are being raised in an increasingly media dependent world. From the day they are born we use the silencing melodies from the radio to hush them to sleep. As toddlers and preschoolers we rely on television to help us teach them their basic counting and reading skills. Once they hit grade school, television is one way by which we hope to keep them occupied long enough for us to get other work done around the house before helping them with their studies and assignments. We get them on the internet in order to do research that is necessary for the completion of their homework. They stay in touch with their group study and class project team mates via twitter and Facebook. Obviously mass media has become a very important tool in the mental and social development of our children. The question is, how much of this influence that we allow them to be exposed to is positive? And when does it cross the line towards the negative? We have to admit that media is something that we can no longer do without in our lives. It is the greatest mover, shaker, and shaper of our cultural values and social identities. The impact of media over our lifestyle can easily be seen in the way our attitudes and beliefs change over time. This is also a change that is reflected in the way our children are growing up. (Oak, â€Å"Positive Effects of Media†). Experts have coined the term â€Å"Viewtrition† in order to describe the method by which parents should oversee the quality of the television that their children are watching ( Durrani, â€Å"TV Is Positive Influence On Child Development†). When questioned as to whether television delivered any positive impact on their childs lives, parents responded that: â€Å"Despite the negativity often associated with children watching TV, eight out of 10 parents questioned believed it has a positive effect on their childs development, including