"Although television is frequently implicated as a cause of many
problems in children, our research indicates that it may also be
part of the solution," the study notes. The scientists saw the
greatest improvements in boys raised in disadvantaged homes
where children tends to watch more TV. Experts know that
children mimic what they see, whether it's in real life or
what's on the screen. And this is of particular concern when
children watch TV or movies riddled with violence. "Children
learn their attitudes about violence at a very young age, before
age 8 and once they learn those attitudes it's very difficult to
unlearn them," says Strasburger. "It doesn't mean that children
who watch violence are going to become murderers, but it does
mean that they are desensitized to violence in the real world
and they are more likely to be aggressive themselves," says
study author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for
Child Health, Behavior, and Development at Seattle Children's
Research Institute. Better sh