Children and Television
Television has been changing the way people live for thirty years。 It influences nearly every aspect of modern life。 how people use leisure time， how news is reported，how information is learned，
and how people think and feel。Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of television because their minds are growing， developing， and learning much faster than those of adults。 Whereas television could be used as an educational tool for children， more often simple ehtertaining cartoons with little or no educational value are shown。
Social scientists， teachers， and parents are troubled by the kinds of television programs children choose to watch。These groups of people are concerned about the media＇s impact on young 。children。 They are worried about the effects of televised violence on society as well as commercials for sug-
arcoated food。 Most importantly， however， they feel television is one factor that causes declining math and reading scores among schoolchildren。 Because of the excessive time spent in watching TV， children are spending less time reading
and thinking independently。
Experts are concerned about the view of the world that youngsters are learning from television。 Parents， schools， and churches have traditionally been the social models and teachers for children。 However， because television influences children＇s attitudes and behavior， its role in society is becoming increasingly more powerful--it is much more than a simple recreational activity。
Exposure to excessive violence is another influence of television。 According to several studies， televised violence may cause children to become more aggressive。 Also， because so much violence is seen by children on television， they become more used to it as the only solution to difficult situations。 Children who watch a great deal of violence on television may become apathetic toward actual aggression。 One study has shown that， compared to a control group， fifth-graders who watched an aggressive television broadcast were slower to ask for adult help when a fight broke out among younger children。
兒童與電視
近三十年來，電視在不斷地改變着人們的生活方式。它幾乎影響着現代生活的方方面面，如：人們如何度過閒暇時間，如何報導新聞，如何獲取知識信息，以及人們如何思考，作何感受。由於孩子們的大腦正在成長和發育，學習的速度比成年人要快得多，因此，孩子們尤其容易受到電視的影響。雖然電視可以用作教育兒童的工具，但更多時候，電視上放映的卻只是一些簡單的娛樂性的卡通節目，極少有甚至根本沒有教育價值。
社會科學家，老師和家長們一直爲孩子們選擇觀看的電視節目的種類所困擾着。這些人關注的是媒體對年幼的孩子造成的影響。他們爲電視暴力節目，也爲糖衣食物的廣告給孩子帶來的影響表示擔憂。然而，最重要的是，他們認爲電視是造成孩子們數學和閱讀成績下降的一大因素。由於把過多的時間花在看電視上，孩子們花在閱讀和獨立思考上的時間就非常少了。
孩子們從電視上學來的世界觀讓專家們深感憂慮。一直以來，父母、學校和教會就是兒童的社會模範和老師。但是，由於電視影響着兒童的態度和行爲，電視在社會中的作用已經變得越來越強大了，它已遠遠超出了簡單的娛樂活動的'範疇。
電視的另一大危害就是置孩子們於過度的暴力影響之下。數據研究表明，電視暴力會使孩子們變得更具攻擊性。同時，由於孩子們在電視上看到了太多的暴力，他們會對此習以爲常，把它視爲面臨困境時的惟一解決辦法。在電視上看到過多暴力的孩子們，他們對真正的攻擊行爲無動於衷。一項研究表明，與看電視節目受到控制的同齡人相比，當觀看了具有進攻性電視節目的五年級的孩子們看見年幼的孩子打架時，他們更不願意向大人求助。
