The impact of television on children & child development & on the practice of child psychiatry is reviewed, including a brief discussion of the influence of television on suicide & attempted suicide in adolescents. The use of television in child psychiatric clinical work supervision & research, & its potential to reduce the psychological trauma experienced by children in the legal proceedings of child abuse cases is discussed. More research is needed to determine the content & intervening variables that effect the acquisition of both positive & negative behaviour from television & enhance its promotion of mental health. (65 refs.)