Studies Show TV Affects Children
By Rachel Irvine
August 14, 2001
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The study of television violence, and concern about its effects on children, has been ongoing for nearly thirty years, yet the amount of violence shown on television during "prime time" has not diminished. In 1995 the American Academy of Pediatrics said, "the level of prime-time violence has remained at three to five violent acts per hour, and violence in Saturday morning children's programming ranges between 20 to 25 violent acts per hour American media are the most violent in the world, and American society is now paying a high price in terms of real-life violence." The American Psychological Association has estimated that children view 200,000 acts of violence through the media by the time they reach age 18.
Children spend about 28 hours per week watching television. Over the course of a year, this is twice as much time as they spend in school, according to a survey done by Mediascope. Fifty-four percent of children watch a movie on a VCR three or more days a week, and 47 percent see a movie in a theatre at least once a month. The study also showed a correspondence between the amount of television watched and the behavior of the children. Mediascope found that "those children who smoke, drink and are sexually active have higher television viewing rates."
Mere viewing of violent and sex-laden incidents may not be convincing to some that the entertainment media are harming our youth. New evidence is emerging, however about the relationship between the media and behavior. Pediatricians are concerned about how the media effects young people. Dr. Victor Strasburger, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics said, "There is almost no area of a child's development that isn't touched by the media."
In a statement issued in February, 2001, the Academy said, "Research also has indicated that media can adversely impact sexuality, academic performance, body concept and self-image, nutrition, dieting and obesity, and substance abuse patterns."
Longitudinal studies have linked aggression to heavy television viewing. Dr. Leonard Eron, from the University of Illinois at Chicago testified before a Senate Committee in 1999 that the amount of violent television programs eight-year-old boys watch is related to the their aggressiveness at 18 years old, and the seriousness of their criminal acts by age 30.
Four universities conducted the National Television Violence Study over a three-year period of time. New data from the study show that "most of the nearly two-thirds of violent programming was found in children's television shows, but that portrayals of violence are usually glamorized and that perpetrators often go unpunished." It also discovered that constant exposure to violent scenes is especially harmful to children under the age of eight, because they have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. The study said this fact becomes important when young children watch TV, particularly cartoons, which usually do not portray real-life consequences for violent actions, they learn that violence is "desirable, necessary, and painless."
It is not easy for children and teens to avoid media violence. Many times they are the target audience in marketing plans, with an advertising campaign designed specifically for them. The Federal Trade Commission issued a report in September, 2000, finding that the movie, music recording, and computer and video game industries "routinely target the advertising and marketing of violent entertainment directly to children." Of the 44 R-rated films the Commission studied; 80 percent were targeted to children under 17. One marketing plan for a violent R-rated film specifically said, "Our goal was to find the elusive teen target audience and make sure everyone between the ages of 12-18 was exposed to the film."
Violence is just a part of what children are exposed to for hours and hours each week. Sex is now commonplace on the silver screen. The Parents Television Council just released a report reviewing six weeks of family-hour shows from the 2000-01 TV season. It found that while the sexual content during "family hour" had decreased in quantity, "in a qualitative sense it has become raunchier." The sexual content during family hour now deals with topics such as oral sex and pornography; subjects that were not discussed even during late night programs a few years ago. Children Now, a non-profit organization, reported that children as young as 8 years old understand television's sexual content, including jokes and innuendo.
The media plays an important role in shaping teenagers' perceptions of sex. At a forum on Capitol Hill last month, pediatrician Dr. Michael Rich testified: "Young people tell me that the media is one of their leading sources of information about sex. Each year television and movies offer 14,000 sexual portrayals, of which only 165 deal with risks of pregnancy, HIV or other STDs. It seems unrealistic that society should place the sole blame on our young people for engaging in early and unsafe sex when they have so much exposure to irresponsible sexual messages and portrayals in media."
According to recent data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, 61 percent of all high school seniors have had sexual intercourse, about half are currently sexually active, and 21 percent have had four or more partners. The Kaiser Family Foundation released a report in February, 2001, finding that "TV's sexual messages clearly play a part in helping not only to inform young people, but also to shape their ideas of what other people their age are doing, saying and thinking. In survey after survey, teens and young adults tell researchers that television is one of their top sources of information and ideas about sex, generally following school, parents and peers." One of the key findings in the study showed nearly one in ten shows on TV includes some sexual content involving teens. Two years ago three percent of all characters involved in intercourse where teens; today that figure has jumped to nine percent.
Rachel Irvine is an intern at Accuracy in Media. For questions or comments, please contact Intern@AIM.org.
