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avatarDonna
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Can TV violence effect a toddler



Question applies to ages: 0, 1, 2

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avatarRebecca
# of Thumbs Up Received (14)		 Unfortunately, even if kids don't understand what they're seeing, TV violence can and does affect them. Kids—especially during toddlerhood—absorb everything they see and hear. But here's the thing: Where older kids might see something scary and ask a grownup about it ("Why did that man shoot the dog?"), a toddler doesn't have the language skills to do so. Scary images, sounds and ideas will bounce around in a child's head with no reassuring messages to balance them out (such as "It's just pretend," or "That would never happen to your dog.").

This isn't just my opinion. Everything I've seen from the experts says that not only does TV violence negatively affect young ones, TV itself is not the best way for toddlers to spend their time.

The EduGuide library has several stories on this subject, as well as alternatives to TV. You might start with this one: Television-Violence-and-Children-Dont-Mix-1827

I know it's tempting to use TV as a babysitter—most of us have done it—we just need to be super careful about choosing shows that are educational and age-appropriate.



References:
EduGuide contributing editor and mother of two
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avatarBridgette
# of Thumbs Up Received (41)		 I agree with Rebecca.

I'll even go a step further and say that all television affects toddlers, not just the violence. Some of the influence can be a good thing--there is some wonderful educational programming.

Many people have researched and found lots of negative effects of television on children. For me, the more compelling argument has always been the very positive effects of not having a television. We haven't had a television in our home for the past 19 years, not because we dislike television, but because we so much prefer the things that we do instead of watching television.

Because we don't have a television, our son from the time he was a toddler found other means of play. It was very natural for him to play imaginative, creative games. He developed an excellent vocabulary by talking with adults and others.

Also, because he didn't have a television to entertain him, he learned how to entertain himself. This has made parenting him--especially when we're tired--so much easier. We can ask him to go play and he does. He can spend hours entertaining himself with Legos, little people, or even pencil erasers.

Nor has it affected him much socially. He watches television at other people's houses and enjoys it when he does. But it isn't a major part of his life that he plans things around. It's what it should be--an occasional piece of entertainment.

References:
Mom to an 11-year-old boy who will sometimes admit he likes not having a television
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avatarnew parent
# of Thumbs Up Received (0)		 tolder years are a critical point in the development of the child it's were they learn the most and are influenced more by us as parents and the outside world.So yes a tolder can be effected by violence on tv or ant were else for that matter.
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