ABSTRACT
All too often, discussions of the effects of television on children focus solely on the negative. Some critics have argued-with little, if any, basis in empirical data-that exposure to television can lead to outcomes such as reduced attention spans, lack of interest in school, or children becoming passive “zombie viewers” (e.g., Healy, 1990; Postman, 1985; Winn, 1977). Although these claims have been refuted by research, other negative effects of television have found more support in the literature, such as the modeling of aggressive behavior (e.g., Wilson et al., 1997) or persuasive effects of advertising (e.g., John, 1999; Kunkel, 2001).
