Ken Doyle, writing for OneWorldScam.com (now The Sovereign Independent), says studies on the effects of TV have concluded that children under the age of two shouldn't watch it at all; television negatively affects their development and gives them a form of attention deficit disorder. TV programming is conducive to this result because it bombards viewers with fast-paced music and rapidly changing scenes to hold their attention. Aggressive editing, changing camera angles and lighting also heighten the impact on the brain. According to Ken Doyle, TV's sensory stimulation over the past few decades has reduced attention spans from more than an hour to just a few minutes. The result is shorter, more superficial conversations that hinder communication.
Strong families have always been the bedrock of stable societies. They teach kids to accept responsibility, value relationships and treat others with respect. In the early years of television, shows like "Leave it to Beaver" and "Little House on the Prairie" modeled healthy family relationships. Those shows are long gone. They've been replaced by "The Simpsons," "Family Guy" and other programs that promote dysfunctional families with irresponsible parents and disrespectful kids. Reality shows like "Survivor" also communicate an "every man for himself" mentality where it's acceptable to betray others to get ahead. This has an insidious affect on the viewer and encourages a self-absorbed attitude that undermines relationships.
Violence plays a major role in today's world. It's all over the news and a prominent part of TV shows. In 2007, "New Scientist" observed that "By the time the average U.S. child starts elementary school he or she will have seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on TV." It's hard to imagine that this wouldn't affect an impressionable child; an exhaustive 2003 study of violence and TV conclusively proved that it does. Over 300 children were tracked over 15 years; kids who watched violent TV had far more criminal convictions than those who did not. TV violence desensitizes people to the suffering of others; this lack of empathy makes it difficult to see things from another's perspective, a critical communication skill.
TV draws most of its revenues from advertising; it's logical to assume that ads influence behavior. Many of these ads use association to pitch their products. You'll see a beautiful woman admiring a sleek sports car; the implication is that, if you get the car, the woman will follow. Attractive celebrities and models pitch health and beauty products with the subliminal suggestion that anyone can look like them by using the product. These messages and others like them encourage superficial thinking and motivate viewers to value others according to appearance. This makes it harder for individuals to be themselves and encourages them to be something they're not.