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12) Why should we even think about television? It's too inconsequential.
Educators need to take serious both the dangers and benefits of television as an influence in children's lives.
Dangers

• Excessive commercialization associated with children's programs (Average American child watches 20,000 commercials a year. Advertisers spend $700 million a year to advertise to children.) 1
  
• Excessive violence on children's programs. (Children's TV shows contain about 20 violent acts each hour.) 2 Viewing of violence is linked to violent and disruptive behavior in children. 3
  
• Excessive viewing is detrimental. 4
  

Benefits

• Children's programs have been shown to teach about reading, cognitive skills, self-esteem and prosocial behavior ,link to Research Fact
  
• They reach large numbers of children. 5
  
• Television is an excellent motivator (e.g., Reading Rainbow; Wishbone)
  

Iowa Public Television broadcasts programs that avoid the dangers of television and enhance the benefits of it by using television as a tool that can teach and inspire.

Iowa Public Television is the leading source for high quality, child-appropriate children's television. Its regularly broadcast programs for preschool audiences are hailed by critics and academic research verifies their positive educational outcomes. 6