What is on television? This is a common question of today's generation. A person can respond with any of the following: news, sitcoms, cartoons, sports, or any other miscellaneous programming. Is this really what happens on television? Take a closer look. What is consistent in these programs? Violence, violence, that's what's on television. Objections may arise to this statement due to violent desensitization, but that doesn't change the fact that most shows contain violence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay “In 1949, just 2 percent of American households owned a television set. This figure rose to 64% in 1955, and 93% in the mid-60s, and 98% today" (Hughes and Hasbrouck 3). With so many televisions in homes today and working parents; " Television has become the closest and most constant companion of American children” (Zuckerman 1). American children begin watching television at an early age and become frequent viewers by the age of two or three. The amount of time American children spend watching television is staggering: an average of four hours a day, 28 hours a week, 2,400 hours a year, nearly 18,000 hours by the time they graduate from high school. spend only 13,000 hours in school, from kindergarten to twelfth grade. American children spend more time watching television than on any other activity, aside from sleeping. How much violence do children watch? A typical child will witness 8,000 murders and 100,000 other acts of violence before leaving elementary school (Hughes and Hasbrouck 4). People don't realize how much violence is on television. With improved special effects, violent scenes are more realistic and grotesque, which explains the popularity of violent shows. Additionally, several sources indicate that five acts of violence per hour occur during prime time television and that 20 to 25 acts of violence occur during Saturday morning cartoons. Many psychologists agree that watching violence on television causes an increase in aggression, especially in young children. Social scientists have conducted studies to determine whether there is a causal link between seeing violence and aggression. Bandura conducted a laboratory study that showed four groups of children a different movie. One group saw aggressive physical behavior rewarded, another group saw aggressive physical behavior punished, the third group observed no aggressive behavior, and the last group did not watch a movie at all. Bandura concludes that children learn to act violently because they imitate behavior that they see rewarded (Primavera and Herron 3). There are three main types of harm associated with watching violence. First, children learn aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Accepting violence as a way to solve problems leads to aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Televised violence is attractive, effective and the preferred solution to most conflicts. “It is believed that people learn by imitating what they see and that children are particularly receptive to such learning” (Primavera and Herron 1). When children see that violence is the solution to problems, they adopt this attitude when they play, whichwhich leads to more aggression. In 1940, when televisions were rare, "the top seven problems in public schools were identified by teachers as speaking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise, running in the hallways, cutting waiting in line, breaking the dress code and littering. "By 1980, the top seven problems had been identified as suicide, assault, theft, rape, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and pregnancy" (Zuckerman 2). The increase in television viewing and the growing number of televisions in homes has amplified academic problems over time. Second, children become desensitized to real-world violence. People who witness so much violence view violence as a normal and accepted way of life. If children watch a lot of violence, they may not be upset by actual acts of violence and are less quick to intervene or call for help when they see younger children fighting or playing destructively. Third, viewers develop a fear of becoming a victim of violence, also known as “mean world syndrome” (Kalin 5). Heavy TV viewers grow up thinking the world is a “mean” place. These adults are not usually violent or aggressive, but they feel the need to protect themselves with locks, alarms, and other methods of protection. Is television violence the only reason why children's aggression has increased? Aggression during childhood is the result of multiple, interacting factors, including the child's dispositional factors (e.g., temperament, intelligence) and environmental factors (e.g., home and parenting, school, neighborhood). Early socialization experiences shape future socialization experiences. For example, if a child is rewarded by his or her parents for early aggressive behavior, that child is more likely to resolve peer problems with aggressive solutions. Parents have a huge influence on their child's life. Many people believe that poor parenting is the cause of increased aggressive behavior and that this aggression can be reduced through good parenting. Although being a parent is an important factor, data indicates that violent media is also a factor in violent behavior. In the United States, children watch an excessive amount of violent television shows. Prolonged exposure to violent material can make a child confused and more suspicious of others. It might even cause the child to have a clumsy approach to adult problems. Television violence can destroy the mind of a young child and its effects can be everlasting. Although some do not appear to be negatively affected, it encourages violent behavior in many. One television commentator commented, "Well, we only have one really violent show on our network, and that's 'NYPD Blue.' I admit it's bad, but it's only one night a week" (Grossman 4). How would this commenter feel if someone said, "Well, I only beat my wife in front of the kids one night a week” (Grossman 4)? How can we reduce the effects of television violence? This will require a better television rating system, the use of the V-chip, and an active role for parents in controlling this? that their children watch. This will not be an easy task. Parents have a very difficult role to play in this solution. In order to reduce the effects of television violence..