Since the 1920's the television has been an integral part of the lives of Americans. When the television was invented, it was designed as a means of dispersing information to the general public. The problem is not just television shows per se, or the Nintendo or internet, but it's the build up of recent years of electronic substitutes for the home life, along with television and it's advertisements (Shapiro, 56 ). As the television became a popular household item, television programmers changed their focus from educating to entertaining. This change resulted in an increase in the number of viewers. Over the last ten years, broadcasters have become more lenient when it comes to the regulation of aired material. Television broadcasts many shows aided primarily at ad

Television also encourages passive versus active viewing. Most television shows, with the exception of quiz shows and shows geared toward education, do not invite the viewer to develop their analytical skills. The format of a show allows for a crisis to be introduced and then solved within a half hour. By watching television for purely entertainment, one uses only the right brain. Judith Evra explains this by saying that children view television "in a more critical way". Most children are type B. This means that they view television as a way of escaping from reality or diverting their attention. Children often watch shows that do not require them to think very hard. The problem and answers are given to them without any work. There is a great deal of indifference experienced when a traumatic incident happens to a character in the story, except if the child suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Children view television quite casually, and do not often but themselves into the story. Research has shown a tendency for children to be absorbed in watching television. This tendency is called attention inertia. The longer a child remains in front of the television, the more the child feels he or she should be there. This condition has been noticed in children as young as eighteen months old. Although this is an easy habit to acquire, research conducted has also proven that it is very difficult to cure. Television is then seen as a privilege, which reemphasizes the child's desire to watch television (Evra, 48 ). Children do not willingly wish to watch quiz shows because they are often slow moving and do not contain a lot of action. Shows which were extensively watched had been modified for their age group. The shows often gave prizes or had activities which caught their attention. They contained quizzes and activities that the child could participate in at home, and had contestants that they could relate to (Gunter, 1991).

Another stereotype found on television is racial stereotyping. Many minorities such as Blacks and Hispanics, are under-represented when it comes to the number of shows which portray their lives. Many people who do not have any contact with these races are given an inaccurate representation of a race of people. Blacks are often presented as criminals, under-educated, and on welfare. Although, this is a misconception, society prefers this idea to be televised. Over the last ten years, many shows which portrayed minorities in a more accurate way have lasted an average of one season. These stereotypes have been found to contribute to how a race acts. Many think that since the Black male has more often been depicted as a criminal, that his actions reflect what he has been taught. Therefore, if a Black male child has been taught, through viewing television, that most Black men are in gangs and are involved in illegal activity, he will grow up to believe that is a

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Approximate Word count = 1959
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)