Does Watching Mature TV Shows Harm Your Children?

As a parent, you always want to make sure that your children are safe, which means wanting to know what they are watching on television. Though you might keep your children from watching the mature television dramas and movies, these are probably the least of your worries. Studies have shown that many popular entertainment shows and even some modern cartoons can cause far more mental problems in your child than a fictional TV show. Here are some of the reasons why.

With sports entertainment shows such as wrestling and MMA, the violence is often both glorified and exaggerated for dramatic purposes. Compare this to a popular detective show. While the fictional crimes may be grisly, they are just that – fictional. The bad guys are caught in the end and they go to jail to pay for their crimes. The show is marketed as fictional and most children can tell the difference.

In sports entertainment such as wrestling, the shows are presented as real. In wrestling, for example, the "villains" are often the most popular characters. Even though the wrestling might not be real (most matches are staged, with both sides pulling their punches and using fake blood capsules to give the impression of injuries), the mixed message that the wrestlers who inflict the most damage on their opponent are the winners. This can be inspiring in the wrong way for younger children.

Watch your kids, and make sure that they can tell the difference between reality and fantasy on TV. Admittedly this is easier said than done these days, with the advent of ‘reality’ TV shows such as those found on True-TV, and the increasing popularity of adult cartoons such as Family Guy, South Park and adult animation channels on cable such as Adult Swim.

Although adults can tell that these shows are supposed to be satirical and tongue-in-cheek, they often contain extreme cartoon violence such as cartoon bloodshed, maiming and decapitation of characters (who will of course be fine in the next scene), suggestions of sexuality and obviously adult themes such as racism, homosexuality, sex and prostitution.

Even that trusted family staple The Simpsons is getting more graphic, especially the show-within-a-show ‘Itchy and Scratchy’, which is a hyperviolent version of Tom and Jerry. The show centers around a cartoon cat and mouse who eternally peruse each other, in the process inflicting often graphic cartoon injuries.

You can protect yourself and your child by making sure you ask them what their favorite TV shows are, and then by sitting down to watch a few episodes of each yourself.

Ultimately, it is up to you, the parent, to determine what your children can watch, whether it is sports entertainment or cartoon violence. No one should ever blame a sports entertainment program or a cartoon show when he or she has the power to make sure the kids don’t watch it. With the technological advances of digital television today, it’s easy to limit the sports entertainment and mature shows your children see.