Abstract
           This
paper examined studies that have been done that show the impact television
programming and video have on infants and children when it comes to cognitive
development, social development, and general learning. A wide range of studies
show that children under the age of two do not benefit by being exposed to
television programming and that the behavior may in fact be harmful to their
development. This paper will show that children, aged three and older, benefit
the most from education and prosocial television
programming and videos; however, this paper also intends to show that
one-on-one interaction between parents and children has the most beneficial
effect of all.
Introduction
           The
effect of children’s movies and children’s television programming on children
has long-since been the topic of scrutiny. Many studies have shown that
children have a need for stimulation that taps into their innate desire for
fantasy and imaginative thinking. In an effort to assist infants and children
in their physical, mental, and emotional development, the movie and television
industries have developed a number of products – products ranging from the Walt
Disney Company’s Baby Einstein videos to videos geared towards older children,
such as Big Kid’s Productions which markets videos that show children how to do
such things as master potty training skills, learn the alphabet, and even learn
creative skills such as origami. For parents who simply want to entertain their
children, there are a wide variety of children’s movies that range from the
simplistic to the extravagant.
The existence of
these movies raises some very important questions. For example, do these movies
– educational or otherwise – have positive short-term and long-term effects on
children? What is the impact that movies have on a child’s ability to function
in the real world and relate to the world as whole? How old do children need to
be to watch television and movies? Is this exposure detrimental to their
development if it occurs when the children are too young?
This paper
explores the type of programming that is available to children. Additionally
this paper will explore how programming affects children mentally and
emotionally. This paper will examine many of the studies done to determine the
effect of television and video programming on children and will seek to
determine whether the positive effects of this type of media on children
outweigh the negative effects.
