Influence of Television - Assignment Example

Influences First Middle initial and of Prof. First and of lecturer December 9, 1a. Children learn about their environment through their senses during the early years of their life. Their development requires them to move around, experience, and perform activities. Television viewing can therefore have several effects on the development of a child (Pedley, 2011): 1. Television viewing discourages speech in children since it does not involve a two-way communication.2. It requires the child to focus on a single area and therefore can impair normal eye movements.3. The rapid changes in content and commercial tricks can put tremendous strain on the brain and eye of young children.

It also affects their attention span.4. Children who view television very frequently can have impairment in the areas of handwriting, symbol recognition, auditory association, and analysis.1b. Television viewing stimulates vision and hearing. Therefore it is beneficial if used as a tool for educating children. For e.g., showing programs with specific age-appropriate educational content like Cyberchase and Wild on PBS is useful for children between ages 5 and 9. On the hand, if television is used more like a ‘babysitter’ for the children, wherein they watch passively without engaging in any active learning, then it can be very harmful as it would promote sensory disintegration.2a. The three types of atypical behaviors in children are (Sebastian, 2005): 1.

Attention problems: It impacts a child’s ability to concentrate and maintain attention span because of internal disorders like attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct disorders. 2. Internalizing problems: These problems arise when the child focuses their deviant behavior on themselves and involves disorders like bulimia and anorexia.3. Externalizing problems: These problems arise when a child focuses their deviant behavior on other people.

It includes problems like delinquency, excessive aggression, and defiance. 2b. The causes of attention problems include genes involved with the brain's chemical dopamine, food additives, sugar, maternal smoking, and brain injury (Martin, 2011). Symptoms include impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity (Grohol, 2011). Treatment of attention problems includes using drugs like Modafinil and Ritalin and behavior modification therapies (Sebastian, 2005). The causes of internalizing problems include personality aspects like fear of becoming fat and low self-esteem, and genetic and environmental factors (Hoffman, 2008).

Symptoms include lack of control over eating, purging, excessive exercising, or excessive weight loss. Treatment of internalizing problems includes hospitalization, psychotherapy family therapy, and medication (DeAngelis, 2002). The causes of externalizing problems include social factors like changes in the economy, frustration or failure in school, and a growing incidence of child abuse and neglect. Symptoms include problems at school, changes in normal activities or behaviors, changes in friends or one’s appearance, or creating a hostile environment at home.

Treatment of externalizing problems usually involves psychological counseling and behavior modification therapies (Sebastian, 2005). 2c. Having an atypical child in the family can result in a lot of stress on the family. The family members may suffer from anxiety, stress, and fear due to these behaviors. Disruptive behaviors and a hostile atmosphere in the family can cause them to involve the legal authorities which can add further stress to the family. In extreme cases, there would be a threat to life as well which could lead to tremendous psychological, emotional, and physical pain.