Music is a big part of children's lives, especially as the children become older
and enter adolescence. We can see how influential rock stars are just by looking at
the children of today: they dress and sometimes try to act just like their idols.
Music can be very powerful and there have been numerous stories in the news of
teenagers trying to commit suicide or committing crimes and then blaming it on song
lyrics. Perhaps the music itself is not such an influential agent, but the artists
are and if they are behaving in an unbecoming manner, many kids will try and be like
them. For example, rappers like Tupac Shakur, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail
for trying to hit a man with a baseball bat during a concert in 1993 (AP Nov. 14),
and Ice Cube, who goes on trial next month on charges of shooting a man to death at
a bowling alley (AP Nov. 11), are seen as heroes to a lot of children. Most people
would agree that they are not very good role models and that the lyrics that they
write promoting shooting policeman and raping women can have a negative affect on
children's behavior. 
However, there are examples of music having a positive influence
on kids are also prevalent. The girl rap group Salt-N-Pepa, who are often categorized according to their
sexual image, also project an image of feminine strength. Cheryl James, a.k.a
"Salt," said, "We get compliments from women like, 'You inspired me to get out of
an abusive relationship.' It makes me feel good about what I do" (AP Nov. 5).
There is also some good examples of music, which brings a more positive feeling to
the group. An example of this can be heard in the animaniacs compact disk. 
Television is especially influential on the children of today. Thirty years ago, not every home had a television; they were considered a luxury that only the rich could afford. Now, most households have two televisions and children watch them incessantly. Many children's programs are extremely violent and a child can learn violent behavior from watching these programs. For example, about a month ago, in Norway, a small girl was beaten, stripped, and left to die by three boys aged 5, 6, and 6. When asked why they had assaulted the girl, the boys replied that they were doing what the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" do. Also, they said they were copying the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." It has been shown that viewing violent programs can alter a child's behavior, making the child afraid, worried, suspicious, or increasing that child's tendencies towards aggressive behavior. Several Northern European countries, including Norway and Sweden, have taken "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" off of the air because they feel it is too violent for children to watch. In Canada the "Mighty Morphins" have also been dropped. The show was condemned by the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council as, "too violent," and the Global TV network has said that it will edit out some of the more violent scenes (AP Nov. 3). Television can be very powerful in influencing children, but it is not the only medium that can affect children. For example, there was an instance in Wales where a ten year old boy saved his mother's life. She had fallen into a pool and was drowning and her son saved her, saying that watching the popular show "Baywatch" had helped him save her: "I realized my mom was in trouble. I didn't stop to think, I just knew I had to jump in and save her. When I reached her side I remembered how the lifeguards on 'Baywatch' rescue swimmers and tried to copy them" (Reuters Nov. 3). Peggy Charren, director of Action for Children's Television, said in a recent article that when, "properly used, quality television introduces children to a world beyond their classroom and motivates them to learn." She goes on to say that children can relate easily to t.v. and by using a medium they are familiar with, children are more apt to absorb the material they are learning.
Another form of entertainment that can have a strong influence on a child's behavior is video games. Children today spend hours in front of the television playing video games, most of which have some sort of violent theme. A recent study found that, "the two most preferred categories were games that involved fantasy violence, preferred by almost 32% of subjects; and sports games, some of which contained violent subthemes, which were preferred by more than 29%." The most popular are the martial arts games, from which there are hundreds to choose from. The violence in these video games can desensitize children to violence and alter their perception of reality. It can give them the idea that violence is an acceptable way to deal with problems and conflict. But not all video games, television, and music for children is negative, some can have a positive affect on children. There are many examples of educational and positive video games for children. For example, there is an entire business dedicated to developing more challenging and interesting software for children's use. Some programs are designed to allow children to explore different places or environments, whereas others are developed to teach and drill specific facts or academic skills (Mac User 92). Playing computer games can give a child intellectual confidence and can help increase his or her motivation level: "Many computer games promote a feeling of mastery," said Erna Fishhaut, a Specialist Reviewer who wrote the article "Video Games: A Problem or a Blessing?" which outlines ways that parents can choose video games and programs that enhance their children's learning. As you can see, each of these media has a strong influence on the lives and behavior of children, but whether that influence is good or bad is up to the artist, television star, or program writer.
In conclusion, television, music, and video games are all things that are fun and sometimes educational for kids. However, these media can be a bad influence on children, depending on the content. Children are extremely impressionable and if they are exposed to violent television, music or video games then they will start to emulate that show, artist or song, or video game with their behavior. These are all so powerful that they should be used to teach children how to problem solve and help them expand their minds, not show them how to kill someone or teach them other violent behavior.