In the days before television, children learned about their world and their own place in it from listening to and interacting with adults, more particularly their own parents.
Now studies show the family competes with children's peers and television in shaping self-images of the young. And the family is losing.Since most children watch an inordinate amount of television, the way the youth influence each other probably also has to some extent been determined by what they see on the tube. Violence on television is not the only potentially harmful aspect of children's programming.
How children are portrayed on television programs influences the young viewers' expectations of real life and tells them what society values. Too often, those images are skewed.
A new study sponsored by a California group finds television depicts children's lives as much easier than they are in reality and emphasizes friendships, sports and romance and downplays education, earning money and useful community roles.
Unfortunately, family concerns get even less attention. In fact, for 70 percent of the children on television, it is impossible to determine their family structure. Of the 30 percent whose families are evident, 11 percent were orphans, 26 percent lived with a single parent, and 60 percent lived with both biological parents.
It is unlikely television-watching is going to decrease, especially among the young, unless parents take enough interest to monitor what they watch and hit the "off" button when the program is one that presents an unwholesome and unrealistic picture of chil- dren.
Network television should take a close look at programming and make some changes, but until that happens, parents have the responsibility to know what their children are watching and to be aware of what effects the programs may have.