Television programs can be a great form of entertainment, but sometimes these programs designed to entertain may be inappropriate for younger viewers. There are many programs in the media today that portray alcohol, drug use, and premarital sex as something acceptable in American culture. While some networks are more lenient in how they censor their programs, others follow strict guidelines on what they allow audiences to see. Young people who watch programs with explicit content may believe that it is okay to do the things they saw on those television programs. There must be some kind of censorship on what children and young adults can see on television, otherwise they will be increasingly influenced by the media. It is up to viewers to decide what they allow themselves and their families to watch when they turn on the television. Children and young adults in today's society are worse off than they were decades ago. This is a cliché, or an assumption about a specific group of people, in this case about today's youth. The purpose of this essay is not to prove that our younger generation is worse off than ever, but to explain why certain television programs should not be allowed. Young people, especially young children, have brains like sponges, meaning they imitate whatever they see or hear. While this is not a summary that applies to all children, it can be demonstrated through past events. To say that all children who watch programs that depict violence then go out and commit an act of violence, because of that program, is to say that anyone who watches an advertisement for a Fossil watch immediately goes to the store and buys a Fossil watch; it is impossible to prove it, but it is reasonable t...... middle of paper ......ns. June 2008Christakis, Dimitri, MD, MPH. "Study finds link between television and attention problems in children." ScienceDaily April 6, 2004American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Children and television violence. March 2011Washington, Reginald, Dr. “How Does Increased Television Viewing Impact Childhood Obesity?” ScienceDaily October 20, 2005Reuters, Andrew Stern, TV is bad for children's education, studies say. July 4, 2005 Hancox, Robert, TV is bad for children's education, studies say. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 4 July 2005RAND Corporation, Paediatrics. November 5 2008