Shayla Creamer
Mrs. O'Neal
English 1301
2, Oct. 2014
Inside is the new Outside Children have altered their minds to believe that playing video games or watching tv has become the new fad instead of playing outside. Parents have to force children to play outside so they can get exercise and the fresh air that they need instead of staying cooped up playing on game consoles. Game consoles, internet, social media and the new TV shows they have today are keeping children from doing things they need to do. Homework, reading or even getting the physical activity that children need are now considered unimportant. In the September 2011 article, “Issues &ump; Controversies” there was an editorial cartoon titled Children’s Television: Too Much TV illustrated by Mat Handelsman. Handelsman creates this cartoon to prove that parents are oblivious to the fact that children are spending too much time watching tv that in turn is corrupting their mind. This cartoon stresses that the parents need to focus more on what they did as kids instead of what is popular now. Parents need to guide their children to watch educational television shows instead of shows that involve adult content. Also, in September 2011, Lauren Picker published “Turn It Off! Are Your Kids Spending Too Much time Watching TV or Playing Computer Games? How to Set Realistic Limits That Work” in an issue from the Good Housekeeping magazine that helped show parents how to solve these issues that majority of our youth face. Picker also expressed her opinions about how these issues have affected children and possibly even their health in the long run. Parents need to pay more attention to their childrens grades instead of letting them watch their favorite television show. Today, even cartoon writers have changed their writing style from kid-friendly to overly inappropriate. The more popular networks that teens may watch such as MTV, VH1, and even a few things on HBO have picked up a style that is showing kids sexual connotation. These networks have shown kids things that their minds should not yet understand. Children have grown to think that cussing, violence, and sexual relations are okay because their favorite actor or actress is doing it. As parents, it is your job to watch and keep track of what shows our children are watching and how long they end up staring at the tv. Parents that set limits to the amount of television their kids watch are good role models and keep the television from "babysitting" their children. By changing kid's views on television, people can accomplish a world that keeps childrens focus on what is important in their life. It is okay to let children watch television occasionally, but most parents take advantage of this and let their kids watch too much of the wrong tv shows. Some television shows are directing kids to do the wrong thing when parents are trying to encourage them to do the right. Decisions made by children should be influenced by parents, not the television. For instance, parents should give us alternatives to encourage children to read more, go outside, draw, or anything other than watching violent television (Picker 88). Most violence in children can occur from television shows or even violent video games that are played at home. Sending kids outside instead prys them from violent scenes and helps them focus more on reality. Parents stress to their kids that hitting and fighting are not ways to solve problems, but when a child sees his favorite celebrity do it, they want to be just like them and end up reciprocating their actions. In the end, the child's mind may end up in a huge confused mess trying to establish the difference between things that are right or wrong. If parents guide their kids to have knowledge about