Final answer:
Watching too much television during adolescence can lead to learning of stereotypes, lack of prosocial behavior modeling, distractions from homework, and encourages passive learning. These factors can negatively affect academic performance and social development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The negative effects of watching television on adolescent development are numerous, including learning of stereotypes, lack of prosocial modeling, distractions from homework, and the encouragement of passive learning. Excessive viewing of television can lead to poor academic performance as it may eat into study time and distract students from doing their homework. This type of passive activity does not engage critical thinking or problem-solving skills.
Moreover, exposure to violent or stereotypical content can negatively impact young minds. Television often perpetuates stereotypes and can desensitize viewers to violence, potentially leading to an increase in aggressive thoughts and behavior. Additionally, there is a lack of positive role models or prosocial behaviors in many television programs, which means adolescents may not be learning important social skills and values from their media consumption.
In contrast, children and adolescents who watch less television are often found to be higher achieving and better adjusted, as they likely spend more time on active learning and engaging with their community and peers in constructive ways.