Music is not only applied to entertainment but, is used for storytelling, religious rituals, and therapy. It has great benefits but, the most interesting is its effects on the brain. It is the only activity that activates and stimulates the entire brain.

• Networks in the brain that are responsible for motor skills, emotion and creativity become activated. (Science Daily, 2011)
• Little Einsteins, Schoolhouse Rock and Dora The Explorer use catchy tunes to evoke emotion, make the “adventure” interactive and teach children through music about important issues/themes

To sum up, music shows are very important and there needs to be more of them. In addition, there need to be more schools that have music programs as well. Especially in rural and low-income areas.

These are not there expecting every child to become a professional musician because that is not realistic but the research is saying that getting involved in music activities and watching shows do teach teamwork and give children the ability to express themselves.

 

Ashley Kimble

In conclusion i think parents should monitor how much violent intake their child/children receive. Also just inform their children what’s real and what’s fake. We also need to emphasize that violence is not OK. It’s too much of it on TV. People usually get information from TV so we cant be surprised that children are copying what they see if you’re allowing this to be seen/aired. Violence has become normal in American media and it’s effecting us negatively. Children are being exposed to violence too young.

Shannon Villanueva

Reality Tv affects children’s development in different ways, it can affect the child reality stars, and the person watching. Children watching reality tv can spark up conversations with your child that may have been difficult to address in the past, it can help children have a bigger understanding of what other people are like or are from, it can help children be introduced to a different kind of;  living style, people, countries, etc and it can also be entertainment. In the being a viewer perspective it is a lot of positives that come out of it as for being a child reality star, it might not be. It can make children insecure, obsessed with winning, and emotionally unstable. I am a very open minded person so I agree with the parents in the vox article on how they watch show’s together and are able to educate them while also being entertained. I think it’s very important for children to have an open mind and to learn about things at a young age instead of bad things being hidden from them. Knowledge is power no matter the age, I read on twitter how some elementary school’s are going to teach sex ed and how parents were outraged, but in the sex ed class they will be teaching kids about personal space, and its not ok to feel unsafe around people, where people shouldn’t touch you, and a few more things. That sounds so cool to me, because a lot of parents don’t talk about these things with their children so they have no idea what is going on if they are never told anything. People also say that the “gay culture” is always being thrown at them and its on every channel when it’s not, the straight culture is almost everything we watch has to do with a boy and a girl in love with each other. That’s what is always thrown at us, gay culture should be taught and normalized just like straight culture, it needs to stop being singled out. Parent’s should have an input on what children watch, but they should be educated as well and reality tv can be of help.

As for the children actors, I think it’s ok for kids to be on tv. If they love to cook, make clothes, and sing. They just need to be taught that loosing is ok and winning is ok too. In everything we watch there’s always a winner and a loser and its ok to be sad when we loose, especially when we really wanted it but its very important to know that winning isn’t everything and it doesn’t define you. Mental health is a very big thing and some people tend not to make it a big deal but it is. Mental health can cause you to have panic attacks in your everyday life, it can cause depression which effects you in whatever your doing. I’ve had panic attacks and I have also gone through depression and it is no joke, luckily I was strong enough to know i’ll eventually be ok but not right then. My mom is the one who taught me that everything will be ok eventually, and having lost my father 5 years ago and being able to go on and still be able to enjoy myself helps as well. Having my mom beside me is what helps so much, so those kids parents should do the same and make sure that they are doing it because they actually love what they are doing because in the long run it’s only going to affect the children’s state of mind.

Shannon Villanueva

 In the Vox article, the parents who were interviewed spoke on how watching reality tv with their kids helps start conversations. Some parents don’t feel that way, one of the main arguments with conservative parents now that queer culture is becoming more mainstream is “How am i supposed to explain this to my kids?” Which sucks because keeping your child “safe” is only going to make their child more close minded when they step out in the real world. This question was answered long ago, “if you give children a chance to get to know men and women with different sexual preferences it’s really not that difficult for them to understand.

My favorite Reality Tv show I Rupaul’s Drag Race, it is a show about Drag Queens competing against each other to be the Reigning Queen for that year. I attended Drag Con on May 9-12 and it was honestly amazing. Young children expressing themselves through what they wear because their parents are ok with it. That’s exactly how it should be. These kids are inspired by the queens on the show, which is awesome because some people need shows like this. Maybe they are told at school they shouldn’t be dressed that way but this show shows the young children that it’s ok.

 

As for kids who are involved in the actual show, it can affect a child’s emotional development, some kid’s are not ready for rejection, don’t know how to cope with failure in a “mature manner”. In competition tv show’s, like Project Runway Junior, judges are nicer to the kid’s but they still need to be compared so it can make them feel insecure as if they are not as good as their competitor. Not all kids will see it as a game, so it’s important for the child’s parents to tell them at home that it’s great to win but it’s ok to lose too. When kid’s are told that they absolutely have to win, it can mess with them psychology because they will feel as if they let their parents down, or whoever they look up to. Some parents do get carried away because they want fame for their child, sometimes they live through their kids so they are forced to participate when it should be a choice.

Briana Brown

“Children and Music: Benefits of Music in Child Development.” Bright Horizons Family Solutions, http://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/e-family-news/2010-music-and-children-rhythm-meets-child-development.

Gersema, Emily. “Music Training Can Change Children’s Brain Structure and Boost the Decision-Making Network > News > USC Dornsife.” > Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) at USC > USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, 28 Nov. 2017, dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/2711/music-training-can-change-childrens-brain-structure-and-boost-th/.

Smith, Dalouge. “The SIMPHONY Project: How Does Music Change a Child’s Brain?”ARTS Blog, 6 July 2015, blog.americansforthearts.org/2015/03/20/the-simphony-project-how-does-music-change-a-childs-brain.

The Brain On Music

Music is a universal language and many people use it everywhere. Music is not only applied to entertainment but, can also be used for storytelling, religious rituals, and therapy. It has great benefits but, the most interesting thing about music is its effects on the brain. It is the only activity that activates, stimulates and uses the entire brain.

According to Music training can change children’s brain structure and boost decision-making network, by USC communication specialist, Emily Gersema music can :

1.  Increases IQ
2.  Improves Spatial-Temporal Skills
3.  Increase Language Development
4.  Ignites Social and Moral Development
5.  Can Make You Happier and Brings Joy To Others (Gersema, 2017)

Scientists have used several techniques, including behavioral testing, structural and functional MRI scans, and EEG to track electrical activity in the brains.

The following clip shows John Iverson, a USCD neuroscientist who studies music. He emphasizes the SIMPHONY study, how children perceive rhythm and how musical rhythm can be used as medicine.

Does Music Change a Child’s Brain

From the information above, it is evident to conclude that musical shows or singing shows can be extremely beneficial to a child’s moral and social development. This programming can be motivating/ inspiring for children to get involved in the music scene, work on their vocals or learn an instrument. There is an enormous amount of programming for children that have a strong emphasis on music and catchy tunes like Victorious, The Fresh Beat Band, Glee, SchoolHouse Rock, Jacks Big Music Show and Yo Gabba Gabba!

In addition, there are also competitive shows that broadcast talents like Little Big Shots, American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The Rap Game which give children of all ages an opportunity to show their drive for stardom

Ashley Kimble

https://www.livestrong.com/article/201677-childrens-exposure-to-tv-violence-aggressive-behavior/

https://www.thetoptens.com/violent-cartoons/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-baby-scientist/201801/violent-media-and-aggressive-behavior-in-children

 

 

Ashley Kimble

Hello, my name is Ashley Kimble and I am a Communications major. The field I want to go into is either counseling or going into PR work. I’m leaning more towards counseling only because I love helping people and I always find myself counseling friends and family so why not get paid for something I do already. I’m on social media all day every day. I have facebook, twitter, instagram, and snapchat. The one I’m on majority of the time is snapchat. Media definitely affects my life and affected it in many ways. Growing up my mom didn’t let me watch any and everything. When I was younger I didn’t understand and was very upset, but now that I’m older I know she was looking out for me. Exposing children to things too early can mess with their growing process.

Ashley Kimble

The American pediatrics website found that children between the ages of 2 and 18 watch about 3 hours of TV a day. Next a National study that lasted 3 years reported that out of all the television programs the children’s shows had the most violent content. Cartoons are the ones with the most violent, statistics show that there are 20 acts of violence in an hour of an episode. Also that by age 18 children they will have watched 16,000 murders and 200,000 violent acts. This is dangerous because it’s hard for children to distinguish the real from the fake. It also shows that 70 percent of Americans are concerned with the standards that are shown on TV, and in movies. Children that are exposed to a lot of violence on TV usually have a hard time with moral reasoning. According to the article The Children, Adolescents, and TV 37 percent of parents reported times where their children were scared of a news story on television. When children watch TV majority of the time they are faced with 60 percent of violent scenes. With all the violence children see on television they may start thinking the world is a place full of bad people. Some children when they grow up may result in having weapons on them so they won’t be a victim of any violent act that may come their way. There are so many studies that show media violence and violent behavior have negative relationships with people. According to reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics 150,000 adolescents are arrested for violence.

    

One of the Top 10 most violent cartoons is Tom & Jerry. This cartoon was full of violent acts between Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse. It was created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940. I used to love this show was a kid but i can’t ignore the fact that they fought every episode and it was full of violence. Another show that was apart of the Top 10 most violent cartoons is Looney Tunes. This show was definitely full of violence. All of the characters for the most part fought each other. I even remember wondering what dynamite was for the longest. Between both shows you are made to laugh at the violent acts. The shows are made for you to see violence as something normal and in a way fun. A quote from an article on Psychology Today says, “Although the issue is often presented as controversial in the media, we have pretty good evidence that exposure to violent media does make children more aggressive.” What children watch definitely will effect their behavior.