Poor habits may develop as a result of too much television viewing. Children can become sedentary, becoming the proverbial couch potato. Increased viewing time means less time for playing sports, exercising, or doing homework. Some children eat too many high calorie snacks and become overweight as a result of too much television. Educators find children are reading less and lack conversational skills as a result of too much television.
Young children are sometimes unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Parents need to view some shows with their children and explain to them what is real and what is not. According to some studies, TV violence has been linked to an increase in aggression in some children. The amount of violence that is presented in shows can also desensitize children. Recently, several teen-age children were seriously injured when they copied stunts they viewed on a controversial show, which depicts actors performing hazardous stunts. Despite the disclaimers, these children took it upon themselves to copy these acts at home.