Benefits of Children's Television Program

Benefits of Children Television Program

Background

Television plays an integral and an essential role, not only in the lives of adults but also depicts a great deal of influence on a young child's development environment. (Singer & Singer, 1990). It has no more just a luxury enjoyed by the rich or the upper class, but is in fact an important part of every individual's household regardless of what age or income bracket that they belong to. Not long ago, the majority of countries had only one or two television channels, not just that, but the viewing time was limited as well as the transmission itself was restricted to a number of hours per day/night. (Calvert, S. L., & Kotler, J. 2003).

Today, more than a dozen television channels have emerged, majority of which cater to and specialize only in children television programs. Such channels, that are targeted solely at young audiences start their broadcasting of shows from early in the morning and then continue till either late in the evening or many even go round the clock, serving on a 24 hour basis. Similarly, gone are the times when television was only restricted to the adults. Nowadays, children television programs are indeed one of the most important aspects contributing towards the success of any particular television channel. Today one of the most likely sources of positive in?uence of television on children's development is the educational programming which is specifically designed to increase school readiness and social competence in young viewers. Nowadays, as a result of the increasing alleged condemnations against televisions, people tend to overlook the various benefits that television brings to the comfort of our houses in various different forms and content. (Calvert, S. L., & Kotler, J. 2003).

This paper examines the cognitive effects of children television programs upon the overall development of children and illustrates how different television programs that are dedicated solely for the viewership of children helps in not only enhancing their basic cognitive skills but also promotes their socio-emotional development. It starts with a general overview of the children television programs followed by an analysis of children education programs and its effects and benefits that they present.

Children Television Programs

There was a time, when the sole objective of children's television programs was to simply entertain children on Saturday mornings. However, along with time the role of television and the programs aired on it, especially for children have changed drastically. Today, while children's programming continue to be a source of entertainment for them, but at the same time it has also evolved into becoming an educational resource for them, facilitating their literacy, imaginative, cultural awareness, scientific quandaries and their social attitudes.

Children television program not only influences the logical and rational growth in a child but also influences their intellectual development. It not only gives them social exposure, creating awareness amongst them about their surroundings but also accelerates their learning process. An extensive research that was conducted solely to depict the television viewing habits amongst children, indicate that ...