Soap operas - Setting a bad example for young viewers?

[Chrono Detector]

Of course, if you have ever watched a soap opera its themes always involves characters that lie, keep secrets, commit adultry, have a sexual relationship before marriage, traitors, you know, all the negative aspects of life, etc.

Do you think a soap opera can twist a young viewers mind and sets a bad example for them? Personally, I do think so.

Your comments?

[SHiKaMaRi]

I agree with Thunderbolt. Soap operas do set a bad example for young viewers.
They show little kiddies how to lie, and while searching for a nice show, I saw a soap opera, having this middle aged woman seducing this teenager boy. Disgusting. It pollutes the kiddies mind with horrible stuff.

[Iro]

In the first place why would the younger audience watch soap operas which are mainly targeted for adults? adults in the other hand have the upper right to prevent their children from watching soap operas not suitable for their age. I agree that SOME of the soap operas set a bad example to the young audience, it teaches them to incoporate or inact in real life what they see in television these days WHICH IS BAD BAD BAD! not everything in television should be followed. The younger audience should be taught by parents that soap operas, series, anything of the like are only a representation of life made complicated and given situations that would most likely/unlikely happen, in other words it is fiction and should not be imitated in real life.

[SHiKaMaRi]

In the first place why would the younger audience watch soap operas which are mainly targeted for adults? adults in the other hand have the upper right to prevent their children from watching soap operas not suitable for their age. I agree that SOME of the soap operas set a bad example to the young audience, it teaches them to incoporate or inact in real life what they see in television these days WHICH IS BAD BAD BAD! not everything in television should be followed. The younger audience should be taught by parents that soap operas, series, anything of the like are only a representation of life made complicated and given situations that would most likely/unlikely happen, in other words it is fiction and should not be imitated in real life.

Normal kiddies in Australia sleep at 9pm. If soap operas were targeted for more mature audiences, they should have placed the shows after 9pm. However, soap operas are on every weekday from around 6pm-8pm. And many of the parents are out doing work, and only come back at 8pm at night. It's not hard for the kids to get their hands on soap operas.

[Evanesque]

I doubt young audiences watch soap opera unless they come across their parents watching them. Basically it is up to the person watching, whether or not he/she wants to get influenced by the soaps. It's sad to see many people with poor mind will and are easily influenced, they are the ones who might end up doing what these bizarre soap operas show.

One of the most annoying and ongoing soap operas is The Bold and the Beautiful...Who the f*** is whose parents and kids??? Now that is a really twisted soap opera and has been successfully running since...since...I don't know but I remember seeing my mom watch it when I was like 5 years old....it's surprising to see that it's running...with the Forrester family getting even more big and twisted...
*sigh*
Some people need a life...!!

[Dexter]

Normal kiddies in Australia sleep at 9pm. If soap operas were targeted for more mature audiences, they should have placed the shows after 9pm. However, soap operas are on every weekday from around 6pm-8pm. And many of the parents are out doing work, and only come back at 8pm at night. It's not hard for the kids to get their hands on soap operas.

Yeah true, but actually most soap operas in my state are on from midday to 5pm!! That's like after kids come home from school - after 3pm: the soap operas are the only thing on tv!!
and yes, they are a bad influence for children, extremely...

[Z_Blitz]

Interesting topic. I personally agree to what you said Thunderbolt. I know a few friends of mine who are easily influenced by what these soap operas show and tend to imitate a few aspects of that in their lives hoping that it would make their lives a little more 'exciting'. This is specially true for the younger kids who may not be familiar with these occurings to only find them shown on TV. Their young minds may not be prepared to analyze the situation completely and are thus very prone to being incapable of determining whether what they see on these shows is right or wrong.

I heard that in certain parts of the world, soap operas are being shown during late hours so that the majority of people watching those shows are (hypothetically speaking) mature enough to validate the contents of the show.

/Moved to informal debates

[Chrono Detector]

Yep, Bold & The Beautiful does have materials and references that may pollute a young child's mind. They play it here during 4pm during weekdays, and that is a very bad time slot, because children tend to watch television that time.

And another one called Passions, one character who is always focusing destroying a married couple's marriage, saying that they are fated to be together, and has resorted to schemes and lies just to get one man. Some writers overdo it with the soap opera character.

Seriously, the tv executives should move the soap opera program into another time where children can't watch it.

[lula m]

in brasil soap operas are part of the culture every one discutes(hideing or not) what they saw yesterday in the soap, it takes a picture of our reality its on the prime time. its just like the citycoms in usa, but more dramatic

[chiking1]

Yea, I've always found it weird how they play soap operas when kids can watch it. Also, if so many parents are concerned with inappropriate cartoons (e.g. Family Guy, South Park, Simpsons) why don't they ban soap operas too?

Off topic answer: adults watch soap operas, and they like it, but they don't like cartoons, so they ban them... Unfair, eh?

[sakashii]

Yeah, I guess they just have wrong timing, but then some Soap Operas aren't always bad, though nearly every Soap Operas theme is Lies Betrayals Secret Relationships and things that kids under 12 shouldn't really be watching, but then here in Australia besides Soap Opera there are only things like Game Shows *that are so boring* and News *which I doubt most kids like to watch* at the time, so eventually they will come running to watch Soap Opera's rather than other shows...

[SHiKaMaRi]

Yeah, I guess they just have wrong timing, but then some Soap Operas aren't always bad, though nearly every Soap Operas theme is Lies Betrayals Secret Relationships and things that kids under 12 shouldn't really be watching, but then here in Australia besides Soap Opera there are only things like Game Shows *that are so boring* and News *which I doubt most kids like to watch* at the time, so eventually they will come running to watch Soap Opera's rather than other shows...

Mara... you say that only because you watch Home and Away and Neighbours -.- I doubt its' only just kids under 12 that shouldn't watch it.. Maybe something like.. Kids under 15 shouldn't watch it..
I come home, go on the computer, and when its dinner time, at 6-7pm, only things that are on are soap operas. Man, you gotta hate em. A friend of mine's sister, she's what, 9, and she watched soap operas all the time, since her mom only comes back at 8-9pm, same with her dad.

[sakashii]

Mara... you say that only because you watch Home and Away and Neighbours -.- I doubt its' only just kids under 12 that shouldn't watch it.. Maybe something like.. Kids under 15 shouldn't watch it..
I come home, go on the computer, and when its dinner time, at 6-7pm, only things that are on are soap operas. Man, you gotta hate em. A friend of mine's sister, she's what, 9, and she watched soap operas all the time, since her mom only comes back at 8-9pm, same with her dad.

Yeah, but the thing is she's 9.. and not saying be 13 and above is mature but we have learnt about puberty and stuff and we've been taught from right and wrong...

[crash5s]

In other news "anime bad example for young viewers, more at 11pm"

Any form of media can have bad examples, in fact the most popular are full of them.

The arguement boils down to, is free speech bad, or good? And why so?

[dragoneyes001]

the Old and the pitiful, Venereal Hospital, the hung and the breast-less, one wife to give, Fallas ...etc...

are bad influences for kids but should also be considered bad for the adults who follow them religiously anxiously awaiting the cliffhangers answer on Mondays which wont actually be revealed till Thursday where they add a new twist for Friday's next cliffhanger.

"who care's who shot JR"

[Chrono Detector]

I find it annoying, mainly young teenagers who admire a character in the show who is potrayed as a scheming person, who will resort to corrupt actions just to get what they want, and they support that character's actions. I find that appalling and hard to believe.

I think people, especially parents who don't want their children to watch the show should do something about it.

It may be a form of entertainment, and the characters and storylines are fictional, but it does set a very bad example for young viewers. I wouldn't want to see an innocent child to become of the bad characters just because they like that character or show.

And in my opinion no soap opera character is a good role model.

[dragoneyes001]

I find it annoying, mainly young teenagers who admire a character in the show who is potrayed as a scheming person, who will resort to corrupt actions just to get what they want, and they support that character's actions. I find that appalling and hard to believe.

I think people, especially parents who don't want their children to watch the show should do something about it.

It may be a form of entertainment, and the characters and storylines are fictional, but it does set a very bad example for young viewers. I wouldn't want to see an innocent child to become of the bad characters just because they like that character or show.

And in my opinion no soap opera character is a good role model.

would you like me to take the devils adv. side for this debate since pretty much everyone is agreeing one sidedly?

I figure I can probably find some redeaming qualities in soaps and make a go of it.

[Chrono Detector]

If you wish. So, are there any redemning qualities of watching a soap?

From my point of view, it may demonstrate a person how to become stronger in situations.

[dragoneyes001]

a kid watching soaps might develop a good sence of knowing whats right and wrong because the soaps have such glaring evidence of what not to do.

[toxxin]

In my opinion, I disagree. Soap operas are SO boring to kids that even if they did sit through a whole episode, they may pick up on some of the bad habbits, amung bad acting.

In all honesty all though I think kids would most likely sit and watch cartoons or play vids than watch soap operas, as soap operas are more so geared towards an older audience.

[Rain]

Most Soap Opera's do this kinda thing like show a teenager stealing or commiting any other crime to attract viewers.

Over here in England alot of this stuff happens in soaps because it happens frequently in the streets themselves.

For example, if the amount of people being muged is on the increase and is a topic that has caught alot of peoples attention and views etc the television companies who make the soaps will have a character act a mugging in their show.

Because the subject is currently recieving alot of attenion this creates more viewers to the show.
It is really a pretty nasty tactic.

But yes, this does influence children to commit these acts. Which would increase the mugging rate.

Ironic, isnt it?

[rei]

generally our programs have pg classifications, and most operas are on primetime slots (i.e. 7-9pm) so our youth would still be awake. at some degree they influence our young viewers especially heavy drama ones but now they have different format we have the "super hero phase" we're they revive old comic book heroes and polish them and create additional charcters and you know you can never go wrong with super heroes. we are now realizing how great of an impact tv (not just soap operas) has made to our lives.

[adorkable]

*lol. I feel like debating a bit at the moment, so I'm bumping some threads. :)*

I've heard heaps of people talk about what a bad influence television is on people, young and old, with its violence and all that. However, others say its great, with its educational programs, and the just plain fun of it all.

I think that soap operas can be a bad influence, depending on what content is involved in it.

Not only do I think soap operas can be a bad influence, but I think it depends on what you watch on TV. If you watch programmes filled of violence, that may well be a bad influence, but reading violent books or playing violent video games can be just as bad.

[hobbes24]

soap operas were originally radio shows to which women would listen everyday while they did chores at home.. I believe this was during the depression.. and i think they were named after the commercials offering dinnerware with their soap.. so just fun to know, but that's why theyre on in the morning and I'm sure kids who haven't started school yet could easily come across them
I don't really like commenting on negative/positive influence anymore.. cuz some people don't that think what people do influences them and we don't really know what things in the whole picture negatively or positively "influence" us, but keeping it simple, if a kid were to watch soap operas all day everyday, the kid would turn out like the characters in the soap opera and if you think it is negative for a person to turn out like the people in soapoperas then I guess your opinion would be that they negatively influence the mind of a child/ an empty book. so if a person thinks that a mind in its most understanding and open form, whether or not that aids the child's position in life, (as opposed to the child having everything in the end while child's mind is weak/unaccepting of truth/self-focused/unintelligent) is positive..then if the show influenced the child's mind in this direction, the show is good.. or something. However, I don't think the show directly helps the child's mind; way more to the contrary.

[Kimochi]

soap operas are mainly for adults like mums . why in the world would they show it to the youngsters when they know that they won't bother to watch . they didn't know the youngsters would watch .
if youngster watch it they should learn from them . those bad stuff and know not to do them . and + youngsters under 10 don't find them interesting so ya .

[Neve]

Too much spam in here. This thread is for debating whether Soaps set a bad example for young viewers, not saying whether you like them or not.

[M_A]

Yes, soap operas set a bad example. But it is not a great deal, really. Soap operas are usually most popular between ages 13 and up, and at that time humans are already developed enough so as not to brainlessly mimic the negative stereotypes they may be exposed to in soap operasThey serve as a bad example, doubtlessly, but honestly, i do not think a lot of people are affected by that bad example. If soap operas were viewed by kids from 6-12 years old, it would be really different.

[James Cizuz]

It's funny the only thing you pointed out was sexual nature. What about the people dieing? You did mentions traitors, however Sex is not morally a bad thing. Killing people is. If soap operas depicted people dieing, a lot, well even then kids should watch it. People are growing up not knowing how to deal with death. They are falling further and further away from the idea, till they are older. Which can cause many problems. As for sex, as it would be bad for kids(I would never in my wildest dreams imagine a kid trying to have sex because they seen it in a show, especially the pathitic things they pass off for sex in shows I would love to see them try it that way) as for teenagers, if they are old enough, and responsible then yea.

Everything changes us in some way. Most of us can tell the difference from a show and reality, however some do not. I have seen many soap operas, none are even close to morally wrong. It is a form of entertainment, not a way of life meant to change someone.

[James Cizuz]

It doubled posted when I posted comment, please delete.

[II Xion II]

I don't think soap operas are nearly as bad as some of this other crap on television. Still, the infidelity, the murder, the dishonesty, etc. is not a good thing for kids to indulge their senses with. Kids will learn from life about the hard reality of death and human nature, but by saying that they should be allowed to watch this stuff to better inform themselves is downright wrong. Most of the (very few) soap operas I have glimpsed have had only boring talk and the occasional violent moment, so I have to admit that I do not see soap operas as that bad. What's worse are those shows like American Idol that make entertainment out of lambasting kids appearances, voices, and personalities.

[Harvey Dent]

In my opinion, I disagree. Soap operas are SO boring to kids that even if they did sit through a whole episode, they may pick up on some of the bad habbits, amung bad acting.
In all honesty all though I think kids would most likely sit and watch cartoons or play vids than watch soap operas, as soap operas are more so geared towards an older audience.

Plus most Soap Opera's are on usually when kids are at school. Now I am aware of the fact that some toddlers could just be at a babysitters, but as toxxin stated, most kids are bored with stuff like that. I know I was when my babysitter would turn on "The Young and the Restless."

[Ichigo1543]

It's funny the only thing you pointed out was sexual nature. What about the people dieing? You did mentions traitors, however Sex is not morally a bad thing. Killing people is. If soap operas depicted people dieing, a lot, well even then kids should watch it. People are growing up not knowing how to deal with death. They are falling further and further away from the idea, till they are older. Which can cause many problems. As for sex, as it would be bad for kids(I would never in my wildest dreams imagine a kid trying to have sex because they seen it in a show, especially the pathitic things they pass off for sex in shows I would love to see them try it that way) as for teenagers, if they are old enough, and responsible then yea.

Everything changes us in some way. Most of us can tell the difference from a show and reality, however some do not. I have seen many soap operas, none are even close to morally wrong. It is a form of entertainment, not a way of life meant to change someone.

my little brother watches soap Opera's and I can say from a personal level that they have no bad after affects that I have noticed besides him being annoyed when the episode is ended with no resolution. I mean that he has no anger or bad actions related to anything that happens on the soaps.
He loves to watch them with our mother who also lets him watch them and she doesn't let him watch the news because of how upset it makes him. So I don't think that they are bad but If the wrong kind of message is sent to the wrong kind of kid then they will definetly have reprucusions.

[StormsFury]

I personally find them annoying and when my kids happen to watch them, for lack of anything else, they know that they are stories and that reality is not involved for it..But they are older, I don't think that they are good for younger kids, and I agree that they are not that good for some adults. I would much rather sit a kid down to cartoons than that B.S. they show on the soaps..

[FaerieRose]

Soap opera are made for adults. They are on during the day from 1pm to 4pm with the exception of nighttime soap operas which air from 8pm to 11pm. I would rather have my kids watch a movie or an educational program. Yes some soap operas deal with relevant issues that society face but more often than not it's based in fantasy than reality.