TV Violence and Childhood Obesity
Is There a Link Between Stranger Danger and Kids' Lack of Excercise?
Mothers used to feel safe sending children outside to play unsupervised. Can fear of predators be contributing to excessive TV viewing and the childhood obesity trend?
Today’s kids watch too much television. There is no doubt that TV interferes with socialization time, promotes materialism and reinforces stereotypes but violence and obesity continue to be the biggest concerns regarding the viewing habits of children. Can there be a connection between these two seemingly unrelated problems?
The Violence / Obesity Question
There is no question that the amount of violence on television is excessive but how does it affect children? Numerous studies have been unable to prove that watching violence causes violent behavior in typical children although there may be a correlation in people who are prone to violence. However, the issue that has been proven is the fearful reactions to viewing violent content in both children and adults. To put it in perspective, the average child will see 200,000 violent acts on television by the time they reach age 18. Very young children, those under age 7, tend to become extremely disturbed by frightening or scary images they see on television. Before age 8, most children can not truly grasp that "there is no such thing as monsters" and they are easily traumatized.
A Climate of Fear
Children, and adults as well, have been shown to adopt a more fearful attitude about the risk of violence being perpetrated against there own person as a result of witnessing violent acts on television. In other words, American society has developed a skewed sense of how violent real life actually is. Most adults tend to believe life is much more dangerous than it is in reality. It is ironic that this anxiety about violence, may in fact contribute to the excessive amount of television children are viewing. Exaggerated feelings of danger present in the outside world necessitate direct and constant adult supervision of even older children at play outdoors.
Few adults have the time available to spend outside with children in order for the ideal levels of physical activity to take place. Mothers in particular take considerable heat as to the rising number of obese children in the United States. It may be difficult for a working mother to take the necessary time outside with kids when she has many tasks indoors that require her attention. The alternative, sending kids outside to play without adult supervision, may produce extreme anxiety as well as the criticism of other anxious adults. Recommendations that children spend more time outdoors in physical activities may be the solution to childhood obesity but fear of violence may be a significant contributing factor to why it isn't happening.
Research has shown that reduction in television viewing directly correlates with lower body mass indexes and weight loss. It is likely that the prevalent fear of violence would also be significantly reduced. A commitment to a family media viewing plan is the first step in reducing the harmful effects of television on not only children, but adults as well.
