Television News is the most formal and governmental content children can receive from TV. They also bring some order and understanding to the constant barrage of information to which the youths are exposed. DK stated in his paper that “TV news remind children of their responsibilities, other people’s hardship, problems that have on ready solutions, diseases with no cures…TV news expose most information and problem about children’s future, consequently the concern of ‘when I grow up’ will be lead by these news and public affairs programs.” From appearance, It sounds logically and acceptable, but think for a while, I found there are two obvious traps. First, most of news programs present ideas without exciting visuals, even for adults, this is avoidable part while they are seeking for the escapist and artful programs, For teens, news program is nothing more than another day of school. The history of these broadcasts attracting young people is quite poor. Once young people see the information shown on TV, they quickly realize they are being fed informational “medicine” Even though, some producer have devised programs by using show-business techniques to make their material attractive, young people still feel like being fed informational “ medicine” along with sugar. Secondly children cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy until the sixth or even higher grade. If then, what’s the truth children learn from news? Here is an embarrassing example: A child calls out to the nearest interpreter for clarification when soap is showing: “ Daddy, did that man really die?” “No, that was only a story, It’s only make believe” And once again, a live news break in, when which seems like a similar message repeats itself: “Daddy did that man really die?” “ I’m afraid so dear, you’re watching the news” And so for a child, the gradual decoding of life as seen on TV begins with one of the first lessons: The only differences between massages carried by news and entertainment are that one is real and unsettling, the other one is not. As they grow up, they form on attitude of “whatever” about events shown in news program. Because they are just some more provoking performance than those in entertainment due to its reality. To a normal child, the introduction to the real world through the images of TV news represents a confusing experience.
Another positive resource pointed out by DK in his research is television is the television sports that were regarded as the healthiest program for children. “ They play a powerful role in shaping the opinions of youngster about sports, competition, role models, and participation.” It’s not difficult to perceive the reasons. Adolescents are of the age and inclination of physical activity and athletics. Television sports are aired at night and weekend when young viewers are sitting in front of TV. But are the sports programs purely positive? In my opinion, television’s definition of sports diminishes the appreciation of sport a lot today. Most television events emphasize competition rather than participation, excellence and achievement rather than effort and organized, regulated contests rather than less structured individual pursuits. Besides its thrill of participation, comradeship, self-fulfillment, learning and growing, its images of success, the agony of defeat, power and money also stimulate children to imitate. That’s why Tiger…………… so TV sports are not purely positive any more. Oppositely, it’s an alarming tendency that young viewers spend more and more time today on those unworthy events.
While television has unlimited potential for good, which is the view of DK, meanwhile its influence on children’s lives is largely negative. Some sensitive topics: thousands violence on TV, crafty selling face of commercial, aggression caused by those educational programs and so on, these are all the negative points regarded as common sense today which DK avoided to talk about in his research. Even though, the healthiest programs –TV news and sports he mentioned is not perfect as he expected. Watching TV is a serious problem for the growth of children recently, or even a disaster we need to concern. One weekend of children watching TV undoes a whole week of teaching for them. .
