Montreal study: Violent shows can increase psychological and academic impairment in children
Posted November 8, 2022 3:20 pm.
Last Updated November 8, 2022 3:31 pm.
A new study out of l’Université de Montréal says kids watching violent TV shows can develop risks of psychological and academic impairment.
The study which was published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics found, children that were between three and four-years-old that were subject to violent programs on TV were more likely to see emotional distress by age 12, compared to those who weren’t subject to the same programs.
“It was unclear to what extent exposure to typical violent screen content in early childhood—a particularly critical time in brain development—can predict later psychological distress and academic risks,” said Linda Pagani, a professor at l’Université de Montréal’s School of Psycho-Education.
“The detection of early modifiable factors that influence a child’s later well-being is an important target for individual and community health initiatives, and psychological adjustment and academic motivation are essential elements in the successful transition to adolescence,” she added.
The study also found those youth that were subject to violent programs “experienced decreases in classroom engagement, academic achievement and academic motivation by the end of the sixth grade.”
Nearly 2,000 Quebec youth took part in the study.
Teachers monitored the psychosocial and academic achievement, motivation and participation in classroom activities of the students during that time, and then sent the data they observed to Pagani and her team.
“Our goal was to eliminate any pre-existing conditions of the children or families that could have provided an alternative explanation or throw a different light on our results,” Pagani said.
Pagani and her team noted that “Preschool children tend to identify with characters on TV and treat everything they see as real.”
“They are especially vulnerable to humorous depictions of glorified heroes and villains who use violence as a justified means to solve problems,” Pagani said.
“Repeated exposure to rapidly paced, adrenaline-inducing action sequences and captivating special effects could reinforce beliefs, attitudes and impressions that habitual violence in social interactions is ‘normal’. Mislearning essential social skills can make it difficult to fit in at school.”
A more in-depth breakdown of the study can be found on l’Université de Montréal website.
