Many educational programs, shows and documentaries are very informative in the sense that they are scientific proofs. There is everything from learning alphabets and cooking to building spaceships. Television can help discover new cultures; learn about other parts of the globe and other things that we cannot find in our community.
Television affects both children and adults. Children get brainwashed and adults become confused of their own opinion about a subject after watching a TV program.
The mind is temporarily dead when one watches TV. While reading a book the brain works and we picture in our mind what is in the book, but when watching TV the brain doesn't work. While reading books one tries to figure out the looks of the characters and scenery whereas on TV, it does it for the watcher.
TV dictates the way one eats, sleeps, bathes, dresses, talks, behaves, walks, etc. The freedom to act according to one's desire doesn't matter as long as TV tells one how to do it. And of course, there is the world of advertisement. Advertisement is the main reason why this medium exists. Advertisement is global. It affects people through movies, news and everything that comes up on TV. It makes one want. There's no advertisement on things that we need because it is obvious that we are going to buy them. They advertise things that we don't need and they brainwash people in a way to make them think that they need all that is being advertised.
Some studies link early TV viewing with later attention problems. Another study found that kids below the age of three have cognitive problems later in life if TV influences them at such an early age. In many cases TV has discouraged and replaced reading. TV has become a central point in many people's lives. Reading helps in developing the brain whereas TV just makes it stagnant and dull for the brain doesn't work; it just absorbs what it sees. Kids growing in families where the TV is on most of the time cannot read properly as they grow up. According to the AAP, "Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed."
Devotees should educate their children from the early age and provide them only with God-conscious programs. A wide variety of such programs are available on the market ranging from animated movies to proper movies including comedy shows.
Children should be media-educated so that they don't become affected and influenced by what they see. Some studies have shown that kids who receive such education are very selective in what they watch and how to handle it even after watching violent scenes.
Watch with the children. If some undesirable scenes turn up the parent can educate the children on the spot without letting them linger there and contemplate about it and then doing nonsensical things later. Control what the children watch. Some broadcasting companies offer the option of filtering programs.