Television and growth : a case study

Abstract

Television has often been looked at as a teacher, a corrupter, a relaxer and a time-waster. But how does it actually influence development in early childhood? The meaning and significance of television and its role in children' s lives are now receiving special attention from researchers, citizens and policy-makers. Studies conducted on the topic have contributed to a general consensus that television does indeed have a great, impact on social behaviour, although the form and extent of the impact are still debated. This dissertation is intended to show some of the effects of television viewing, on the earliest years of childhood by- presenting a number of observations carried out on two young girls. The information collected is then: reviewed within the context of theory the topic. The first chapter outlines the background to the subject to he dealt with, presenting results that followed worldwide research on the effects of T.V. as a medium of communication. Subsequent chapters deal with. different issues of child psychology and their relation to television viewing. All observations are presented chronologically in each section so that the developments and the behaviour alterations get noted with a view to identifying some of the implications of television watching on growth.