But it is a parent's responsibility to ensure certain TV programs are off-limits to their children right from the start. It is not fair for parents to plop a child in front of the TV when they are busy, and then complain that television programming is bad these days. When parents feel strongly about a show, they should restrict the watching of that program. If parents would demonstrate responsible TV-watching to their children as preschoolers, then they could expect their children to make wise program selections in the future. Most American children watch several hours of television a day.
Television can expand a child's education, or it can have negative effects.
Children can learn how to read, write and recognize shapes and numbers just from watching a daily show. On the flip side, as children grow older, they tend to follow the crowd and watch what seems to be popular with their peers. If children are unsupervised, or have not previously been warned, they may watch programs that are tasteless as well as destructive. They show America's worst side, and still they are highly rated. While there are some disgusting shows on TV, parents do not reserve the right to blame their children's problems on television.