George Gerbner, a psychologist from the University of Pennsylvania, states that by watching violence on television children tend to become less sensitive to pain and suffering of others, they may be more fearful around others, or they may even be more likely to be aggressive toward others. There are violent programs on TV that show the victim going unharmed, especially in cartoons such as South Park, Roadrunner and The Simpsons. Characters in cartoons or television shows get bowled over by another character and get back up without appearing harmed. After reviewing this, children begin to believe that violence doesn't really hurt. In addition, television shows that allow the character that commits the crime to receive no punishment teaches children that it's all right to commit a crime because nothing will be done.
Television is make believe.
The people in the stories are make believe. They are actors and the story is not true. Young children are unable to realize that when a character attacks someone it is not real and should not be imitated. Think about it, many young children still believe in the Easter bunny, tooth fairy, and Santa Claus. Movies are another major contributor to violence in the media and the effects it has on children.