Unfortunately, not all of what children learn from TV is beneficial. TV programs often present a very selective view of life, with glamorous, witty, and powerful characters, which often stand in stark contrast to the real people children come into contact with. Children also learn at very young ages to laugh at violence. Settings and time patterns are often contrived and condensed into a time slot. Problems are often resolved quickly and violently, and the violent or other anti-social behavior often goes unpunished and without comment.
TV displaces other activities.
For example, most children need more time to play with others, to learn to build friendships, to resolve real-life disagreements, and to develop their own imaginations and abilities. Research shows that parents can protect their children from potentially harmful influences and can even use TV for Learning and other age-appropriate developmental activities. What the research does not provide is much factual information on rating systems for TV programs, movies or other media. The information that is available is anecdotal and concerns primarily the MPAA movie ratings. While many parents find the MPAA movie ratings useful, many also say they often disagree with the ratings assigned.