Television has been around for over half a century. The first viewing of television in the United States took place at the 1939 World's Fair, but standard television broadcasts did not begin until the late 1940s. Concern about television's influence on children began when television was in its early years. In the early 1950s, educators and parents began calling on lawmakers to “do something” to reduce the amount of violence on TV. This concern still exists today. Parents have reservations about the quality of television programs aimed at children, the amount of advertising aimed at young viewers and the way television portrays men, women and ethnic minorities. There is also concern about the effects of the amount of time children spend watching television in general. The quality of children's programming has changed over the years. Violence on television is gaining more and more acceptance in today's society. Studies show that watching violent acts on television negatively affects children. The impact of violence can desensitize a child's feelings to the pain of others, produce fear of the world around him, and promote aggression towards others. Studies have shown that children's television programs contain around 20 violent acts every hour and also that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a cruel and dangerous place. Children often behave differently after watching violent programs on television. In a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University, approximately 100 preschool children were observed both before and after watching television; some watched cartoons that contained numerous aggressive and violent acts; others watched programs that did not contain any violence. The research...... half of the document...... Works Cited Neil Hickey. Violence on television. New York: TV Guide, 1992. Aletha C. Huston, Edward Donnerstein, Halford Fairchild, Norma D. Feshbach, Phyllis A. Katz, John P. Murray, Eli A. Rubinstein, Brian L. Wilcox, and Diana Zuckerman. Big world, small screen: the role of television in American society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1992. Robert M. Liebert and Joyce Sprafkin. The initial window: effects of television on children and young people. New York: Pergamon Press, 1988. Edward L. Palmer. Television and American children: a crisis of abandonment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Dorothy G. Singer, Jerome L. Singer, and Diana M. Zuckerman. Teaching television.- How to use television to your child's advantage. New York: Dial Press, 1981.www.cyfc.umn.eduwww.alianceforchildhood.netwww.mcspotlight.orgwww.rebelmothers.org