Developmental psychology.pdf

Contemporary Social Issues 559
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Figure 20.18
Television for Children. The diverse
characters in Sesame Street
demonstrate friendly relationships
and, in the context of their
interactions, teach children
fundamental principles of language
and daily life.
has been an advance in this direction; another advance is "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,"
a program specifically depicting positive social behavior for preschool children (Wright
& Huston, 1983).
The potential of television for shaping behavior in desirable directions is enormous.
All television is educational television. The question is: What are we going to
teach? Our great need is for a less violent, more cooperative world, and one way to
achieve such a society will be through the development of appropriate television programs,
especially children's programs (Figure 20.18).
For children, watching television is not necessarily a passive, intellectually
unresponsive occupation. This misconception has been corrected by recent research.
Television viewing can be an active process, involving the selection, integration, evaluation,
and interpretation of information according to the child's view of the world.
The visual and auditory possibilities make this medium a very potent source of communication
with children (Wright & Huston, 1983). Older children with low intelligence,
or from home environments with low intellectual stimulation, also may learn
school subjects in this way.
Looking Forward Governmental regulation is unlikely because of the restraints of
the First Amendment, which provides protection against interference with free speech.
Changes in programming must be brought about through cooperation between social
research and the television industry. In constructing a better television world, the
researchers must take into account the realities of that industry, and the industry officials
must be responsive to the realities of the research (Rubenstein, 1983).
After you have graduated from college, and even after you have become responsible
for the welfare of the next generation, this problem will be with us. For your
part, -you can assist the young by teaching them critical viewing skills; encouraging
selection of the most constructive programs; viewing and discussing television with them,
thereby increasing their comprehension; using television content in relation to issues
around the home, and so forth. This task of finding the most constructive uses of television
will continue whether you enter the field of psychology or, more likely, become
an informed citizen in some other career. In either case, it is hoped that, partly through
the discussions in this book, you will remain responsive to these issues and attentive to
the major research findings.