Explain to the children that the problem with violence on TV is that it can confuse kids about the real world. If kids see lots of violence on TV they might believe that their own world is a scary and dangerous place. If kids see people on TV solving their problems with violence, they might think that violence is a normal part of life, or that violence is a good way to solve problems. And if kids see a lot of violence on TV it makes them less sympathetic to victims of violence in the real world. The problem is that when we watch TV, we may not even notice how much violence we are watching, especially in cartoons, which move so quickly that we don't have time to really think about what we have just seen.
Activity Ask the children to think about their favorite TV show.
Tell them that they are going to find out whether it is violent or not, using their TV Violence Observation Forms . Instructors of children ages 6 and 7 may wish to deal only with the amounts of violence in children's programs. If so, kids can do a survey of a Saturday morning cartoon using their Zap Sheet and group discussion questions can be modified to suit the younger children. Display these posters in your room as you continue with this unit. A Family Guide To Media Literacy .