Television programs tend to perpetuate stereotypes among minorities and majorities. This trend is prevalent in regard to race, gender and age. As children tend to imitate what they observe, especially on television, discrimination is hardly unexpected from these children; if discrimination is not a consequence, then at the very least, a misunderstanding is.
The television industry attempts to portray the world's diversity using a select few characters and characteristics. Accordingly, the viewer assumes that these few characteristics and characters represent the entire group being depicted, which is incorrect. Often, the industry (television industry) misrepresents the population it attempts to illustrate as a result of a lack of respect for these people. For example, in 1954, "only 2% of all TV characters were black. The few blacks who did appear were presented either as minor characters or as lovable but stereotyped buffoons" (Liebert and Sprafkin, 189). In 1977, more than two decades later, of 17 prime-time (television) shows studied, 13 of the 17 shows were composed of few or no blacks (Liebert and Sprafkin, 190). The result of watching television programs developed to purposefully portray racial minorities as inferior can only be that racial discrimination and misunderstanding (and thus tension) will only continue, perpetuating a negative aspect of society.
Racial stereotyping is not the only type of generalizations being made by the television industry. Research and critical observation of television programs show frequent gender and age discrimination. This trend is not limited to adult programming, but can also be found in television shows designed for children. For example, in children's shows, women are generally portrayed as "passive, deferntial, governed by emotion, and generally weak" while men are usually depicted as "active, dominant, governed by reason, and generally powerful" (Liebert and Sprafkin, 191). Often in addition to gender stereotyping, there is age stereotyping, especially in the portrayal of the elderly. Despite reality, the elderly are most often portrayed as "unhappy...rarely portrayed in romantic situations...over 90% of the statemetns made about the elderly by other characters were negative [on children's Saturday morning programs]" (Liebert and Sprafkin, 192).
The effects of stereotyping on the television is overwhelming, affecting everything from children's play activities to children and teenagers' frame of reference (on various topics such as beauty, sex appeal and youth) (Liebert and Sprafkin, 193). Clearly, television has a profound impact on the behavior and mind of children of all ages and of all income classes. Instead of allowing our children to develop their own opinions, thoughts, behavior and ideas, the television industry, controlled by a select few, have become the machines that mold our children into similar beings -- thinking similarly and acting similarly.
Children watching television are subject to adverse health effects, whether the viewing is in small, moderate or excessive amounts. Research and mere observation reveal the myriad problems affecting children's health. These effects include, but are not limited to elevated cholestrol, a type of malnutrition, increased frequency of obesity, and sleep deprivation.
Television has been shown to introduce to children more processed foods than nutritious food (Moody, 102). Consequently, this type of diet leads to elevated cholestrol, increased tooth decay and obesity. The problem with the over-consumption of processed foods is generally coupled with a lack of, or decreased amount of exercise on the part of the child watching television. This coupling accordingly, results in obesity, or increased obesity. Processed foods also introduces yet another problem, "malnutrition of affluence," or the phenomenon of eating low-quality foods (foods with little or no benefit for a growing child) while also not consuming adequate amounts of nutritious food (Moody, 103).
The ability of television commercials and programs to promote processed foods has generally led to an increase in caffeinated beverages. In children, these caffeinated beverages are most often soft drinks, which usually include a high sugar content as well. Accordingly, the caffeine, a known natural substance to cause sleeplessness and anxiety, when consumed causes sleep deprivation in children. Of course, sleep deprivation is also caused by children's tendencies to stay awake much longer in order to watch more television, rather than sleep. One obvious side effect of sleep deprivation in children is the inability of children to learn as much while attending school, as fatigue easily overcomes the child (http://netletter.com/GMWS/unTV/research.htm).
Sensory deprivation is one of the myriad consequences of watching an excessive amount of television. Signs of sensory deprivation include "diminished breathing, decreased awareness, disorientation, and disconnection from the outside world." (http://www.mindspring.com/~teach1st/tvsense.htm) All viewers, but children especially, are subject to the innundation of stimuli from the television, which results in sensory deprivation. The various sounds, pictures, lights, etc. of the television act as stimuli to the brain, and due to the deluge of these stimuli while watching television, the brain becomes overloaded as it attempts to sort all the effects (of the television) and make sense of the effects quickly.
Children are especially vulnerable to overstimulation of the brain by watching television as their brains are not yet fully developed, and thus may not be capable of handling such a deluge of stimuli. Since watching the television usually only involves the visual and auditory senses, the areas of the brain involved in interpretting signals received from those areas become overworked when the viewer watches television; meanwhile, the other senses (i.e, tasting, touching and smelling) are not stimulated at all, and thus over time and watching excessive amounts of television begin to atrophy due to disuse. Of course, a single television show will not cause significant long term effects on the viewer; however, habitual excessive television viewing would affect the viewer, especially if the viewer is a child.
A child experiencing sensory deprivation usually begins to show symptoms. Some of these symptoms include "vacant-eye stare...difficulty hearing name when called...little or no movement of body while watching...no response when talked to...more hyperactivity and/or crankiness after viewing" (http://www.mindspring.com/~teach1st/tvsense.htm). Plainly, these symptoms are not signs of a happily developing child, but instead, of a child that is neglected and left alone with a television too much. A child brought up in this manner cannot be expected to be a productive member of society later, as the body will slowly wither away with disuse.