Television is visually oriented and minimizes attention to other sources of input. Action presented is more vivid on television than any other media. While television may seem to be a vehicle that can enrich a child's life by introducing vocabulary and new sights, it must be remembered that children comprehend material on a different level than adults. They often have difficulty separating reality from fantasy, believing, for example, that a teddy bear can talk. Time and space concepts are distorted.
Young children think concretely and have difficulty understanding metaphors and similes.
Young children are very literal in their interpretations of events on television. Children who watch a lot of television spend less time in conversation with parents and other family members. Children who watch a lot of television have difficulties developing imagination and a playful attitude. Constructive Possibilities and Hazards of Television. Acropolis Books Ltd. Continue to the next article.