About twenty five hours a week is the amount of time a child spends sitting in front of the television. Most kids start watching t.v. before they even know how to walk or talk, spending at least two hours in front of a television screen each day. By the time the child reaches 8, the amount of television more than triples to about six hours a day, and by the time they are twelve years of age two hours of computer and video games are also introduced into their lives. Some parents believe that just because the FCC labels the television program "G" that it is suitable for their child, but not many adults take the time to watch it first, they don't realize the adult humor that takes place in a lot of cartoons. Some parents question if the adult humor in cartoons affects their child, and the answer to that question can be devastating.

Some of the effects can be obvious, but others can be more subtle. Obvious effects can be things like obesity and eyesight problems. Some effects parents may not think about, could be things like dependency, violence, and proper use of language.

Television won't necessarily make a child violent, or start using improper grammar. The more violent shows a child watches would induce them to believe that violent acts occur normally everyday, and the improper use of language could result from the child believing that the English language would normally be spoken as they see it on t.v.

Obesity can be a major problem for kids with an addiction to television. The more t.v. programs readily available for children, gives them more opportunities to stay interested in the tv instead of going outside and playing with other kids. Tv is not always linked to childhood obesity, but can take a major part in it.

Another problem in kids cartoons is the underlying or subliminal messages displayed in a lot of them that young kids and sometimes adults never catch. These subliminal messages would seem to have no effect on young kids, but surprisingly has one of the largest effects. One the largest maker of subliminal messages, is Disney, they put those messages in movies like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and the Lion King, and many, many more. For example, in Aladdin, in one of the musicals where Aladdin was singing to the princess, if the song is played backwards, it will reveal a phrase that says something like "Good girls take your clothes off."

So parents, televisions isn't as safe as you would think it is. Monitor what your children watch, and don't let them watch too much. Take time out of your busy schedule to tell your child to play outside, or play with friends. Get them interested in sports and after school activities. Don't let them sit around watching television all day, the effects are devastating.