American children watch an average of three to fours hours of television daily.
Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is violent. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later, and young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence.