The Effect TV has on Children

When I began reading the article, “University of Michigan Health System,” I immediately knew where this was going. I also began to question myself on the topics that were being mentioned in this article. Moreover, I am able to understand why a lot of parents or people may think that certain TV programs may impact children.

The topic, “Can TV Scare or Traumatize Kids,” is the most common thing to think about when children are watching TV. When a child is watching TV, you don’t want them watching scary movies because you know they’ll have nightmares and be scared for the rest of the day. Like the article states, “Symptoms of being frightened or upset by TV stories can include bad dreams, anxious feelings, being afraid of being alone, withdrawing from friends, and missing school.” This can be somewhat true when it comes to a child being impacted by something they watch.

The most common thing I can think about when it comes to children missing school that can be caused by watching TV is that they become afraid of possibly being bullied. Some TV shows may portray going to school as something scary by the way they make it appear. It reminds me of myself when I was younger and thinking that what if I ever needed braces and I went to school with them, will I get called “brace face,” or “metal mouth.” Little things like that may make a child afraid of school because of what they watch on TV and how certain things are portrayed on TV.