Have you ever noticed how sassy, rude, and oddly grown up the children around you seem to be? Who would have ever thought that television was the source of these dramatic and unwanted changes. Children’s television has changed for the worse and it’s becoming more visible.

When television first came about, it was something that the whole family could enjoy together. Back in the day, characters in shows were made to live to totally realistic circumstances, whether a good or bad one. Now, the lives that these characters are living are unrealistic and overrated. Not only are the situations fake, but the humor too. Do you ever really find yourself actually laughing out loud while watching one of these sitcoms? Yeah, no one does really, that’s why a laugh track is deployed, which only makes for canned laughter of a fake audience.

Today’s series of television shows fail to correctly portray the idea of positive morality. With the amount of sass and rudeness that children are picking out from these shows, it seems as though the “Terrible Two's” has become the “Terrible Tweens.” Disney Channel, a popular television station for children, once consisted of honest television with vital lessons, but not anymore. The sitcoms that they air now fail to teach children the lessons that they need, instead they are being influenced by characters who get whatever they want and do whatever they want, rarely ever being taught otherwise. Jessie, a current television show on Disney Channel, provides no active parenting of any sort, which then overall influences kids not to listen to their own parents. Drew Magary, a father, explained these television sitcoms as “AP sass lessons for your own children.”

This generation and society continues to be filtered into tv shows, causing “tweens” to grow up more intensely. With all of the advancements in technology and social media, children are growing up at a much faster rate. Even regular Disney Channel sitcoms face the same issue: in Jessie, each 8-13 year old has their own cell phone, laptop, tablet...yes, all of these devices for each child. Another show, Victorious, basically revolves around their phones, as their posted ‘updates’ are constantly shown; very similar to Twitter. “Experts have long known that children imitate many of the deeds -- good and bad -- that they see on television.”

The shows that children and teenagers are being exposed to are not creating any positive influences for them at their young age.

Of course we all understand that every show must be replaced at sometime or another, but they should at least be replaced with something good and worth while to watch. Almost every Disney Channel sitcom, if not all, create characters who are either rich or are involved in show business...usually it’s a combination of both. You see, the Disney Channel as we once knew it consisted of funny, honest television with vital lessons of not only growing up, but also the peer pressure and teenage-hardships that they are bound to face. The “New and Improved” version of this tv station should rethink their layout and include some lessons on morality and not just let it fade away like the joy we once used to receive while watching it. Let’s face it, little kids enjoy superpowers and talking animals a bit more than teenagers do...we just want our entertainment back.

As children are exposed to televised entertainment, they tend to follow in the character’s paths and actions. According to Pediatric Annals, “Newer technologies, such as the Internet, cell phones, and social networking sites, have added hours to the amount of time the average child spends with social media.” A big lesson that a lot of Disney Channel shows portray is how to be “cool” and popular, instead of teaching children at this young age to be their own unique person. Many children are no longer able to establish the fine line between how to express being humorous without including sass and disrespect. As a lot of the characters in these sitcoms are rich or have a pretty good amount of money, it changes the opinions and wants of children. They what what they see, which they can’t always have. Not all families have a large amount of money, which is why these newer shows are overrated. An old show, Everybody Hates Chris used to be a huge favorite of many. The characters included a family with three kids in junior/senior high, a mom with no job, and a dad who worked two jobs, and they still were just getting by, moneywise. Not only was it such a humorous show with good mortality, but it also involved real life situations.

Television shows for children have evolved to fit to today’s generation and society, but who said this generation is being pushed in a positive direction? Trying to fix children’s tv shows back to how they used to be will be difficult to say at the least. All we ask is that the creators realize the bad morality that their sitcoms and characters are influencing children to be. According to Pediatric Annals, a SIRS Issues Researcher, "Research on the behavioral effects of new technology is still in its infancy, but there are significant concerns about Internet bullying and harassment, availability of cigarettes and alcohol on the Internet, digital advertising on the Internet and on cell phones, and posting of information about risky behaviors on social networking sites." With all of the advancements in technology and social media, the “tween” population is being exposed to a whole new world and such different aspects of life then they should be, which is a valid explanation as to why they easily seem to be growing up at a much faster rate. This is what this generation has come to. The “90’s Shows” were easily the best generation of televised entertainment and it’s such a disappointment that we are no longer able to watch them like we used to anymore.

Children’s television shows have changed for the worse. The problem is what the old shows are being replaced with. There are great amounts in the lack of lessons and morality. Children soon attempt to be like the characters they see on tv, making the “tween” population continue to grow up at an unwanted accelerated rate. Who would have thought that the once “dream of an inventor’s eye” would turn out to be the reason why this generation is going in a downward spiral.