Do the tv programs that we watch or that our kids watch affect behavior?  

I think that is where the parents come in and teach their children the difference between a game or television and reality. My daughter has seen violence on tv and movies but she understands the difference between real life and make believe.
Too many parents don't seem to realize that that is part of their job. To make their kids know the difference. I think they think they just will.

When I was a kid, I watched a ton and a half of cartoons. The cartoons had no real purpose other than to entertain -- no moral, no hidden agenda, just a story. Johnny Quest were dramas, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Magilla Gorilla -- all those, just stories. Other, like Tom and Jerry, the Road Runner, and others were violent. I remember when the decision came down that the violence was effecting people and so the whole character or cartoons changed. I never thought it did: I thought poeple could tell the difference between make believe and real life. But as time goes on, something seems to be changing. People no longer seem to MAKE the distinction. They don't seem to understand about stunt men; or that when you shoot someone they don't just get back up. I don't know which is cause and which is effect, but until people again recognize the difference between real and fiction, apparently we all have to modify what's shown to keep them safe.

Dear friend,
It may depend upon how much involvement they give to that programme and realising that these just a programme and it may not happen in real and what they view is not real life incidents or really happening. May to make it to a behaviour might be psychological part. I hope might depend upon the person how he views that programme and how much reality he shows to that programme in connection to his real life.

Hi. I think it does affect our behavior, especially those of the kids nowadays. Media is very powerful and there is a tendency that what we see and hear affects our behavior. Of course, we might embrace or reject things. But sometimes, what is alarming is that kids response to a tv program is always positive. Maybe that is because they still have young minds. I believe that sometimes, tv programs watched by kids, or even computer games should be monitored. Sometimes what they consider 'good' are the ones that were really not.

Hi kitten1954! I do agree with that my friend. I have heard and seen so many news about children showing violent behavior which are attributed to the kind of tv programs, movies they are watching and the kind of computer games they are playing. That is really disappointing and scary. There is so much influence these video games and violent movies on children that is why we ahve to really monitor what the children are watching and playing. At the same, time we have to instill in the children the good values in life. I do not have children of my own and have no personal experience of children showing too much violent behaviors. However, I have noticed that my nieces and nephews imitate what they see in tv such as the way the young stars dress, speak and walk. It would be great if they imitate what is good but what they imitate is not really nice. I don't like seeing younger than 8 year old kids behave like loose teenagers. I just hope that those people who produce these kind of tv programs or computer games will be more responsible in what they show and be aware of what they are instilling in the minds of the young and not just be focused on how much profit they can make.
Take care always..God Bless!

ABSOLUTELY! Everything influences us..and people with weak minds do emulate actions and kids also because they are most easy to influence.
We must watch all that our kids do because they are so easy. Their reasoning isn't finished being processed to know truly what is okay and what is not.

No question at all I think just like everything else in our lives the television effects us - where it's really bad is when the tv is the major source of entertainment. I've seen first hand how some shows can effect myself but have really seen a huge effect 'cartoons' have had on my 5 year old grandson. We've started not only picking the shows allowed to watch but also limiting the amount of time he spends watching... way too much violence on too many 'kids shows' and he has a bad even nearly violent attitude himself.

Hello my friend kitten1954 Ji
Some time back, I started a discussion showing how TV watching is harmful to children. In England TV has been totally banned upto 3 yrs, there after fixed hrs have been introduced. It badly affects firstly from health point of view and secondally in shaping nature. It adds up voilency among children. There have been many cases in our country, where children wanted to become spider-man, by jumping from high building and theb risking life. Such advertisements have been totally banned. I watch TV just for News and entertainment. I do not carry any afterthoght. No doubt it is harmful, and one should minimise its use. have a nice time.

Of Course it does! If parents are going to leave an impressionable young mind parked in front of the idiot box for a couple of hours to be exposed to whatever advertising,violence or otherwise objectionable content is being pumped out,they cannot seriously think "It's only TV"...TV is GREAT for advertisers..they have a captive couch potato audience waiting and wanting to be entertained or have something to alleviate their boredom..and do they ever deliver! No wonder We have obesity problems,when Kids flop down in front of the TV once they get home from school,and maybe not stir from there except for meals and snacks til bedtime..if they don't already have their own TV in their room,that is..

Little children cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, but as they grow older, they can. However television can give a wrong world view and you do not need to imitate the actors by jumping off the roof or shooting with daddy's gun to do it. It is the message they send. For instance, have you noticed that in quite a number of movies, the bad guys are usually white and are hypocritical Christians like that movie The Breach, and in The Last Action Hero, they spoofed that most of the police chiefs and bosses in movies were African-American and loud mouths like that. If you want someone to develop prejudices against black people, that is a good way to go.
And if you go farther back, there was the cold rich couple who wanted to adopt a baby through the black market and the poor loving single mother who was trying to get her baby back. Then in movies like Black Rain, the wise Japanese businessman. It seems that the movies stereotype people, American Indians care for the environment, Japanese are wise, African Americans hold a higher morality, us whites are hedonistic, etc.
And then there is the guy with a South African accent who is a White Supremacist, and the white person always has a black friend who latches on to her or him. I mean I have many friends and one of them happens to be what they call a Mulatto but she does not just latch on to me all the time, but in the movies, all my other friends would disappear. OH and the blond girl always goes out with the African American guy who is quite dark. My mulatto friend is only a shade or so darker than her Dutch husband.
So movies do not give an honest view of life, they just show the parts that they want to show and exclude all others.