No TV Before Age Two?

THE NEW YORK TIMES

PBS PARENTS

KIDS HEALTH

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DIAPER SERVICES

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

• 

  The New York Times "Parents Making Use of TV Despite Risks"

  Jennifer Beck-Wilson, 36, tends to agree with the Academy of Pediatrics. But with a 3-year-old son, a 15-month-old daughter and a full-time job, best intentions fall by the wayside. ''There's my philosophy and then there's real life,'' she said.

  On a typical day, 61 percent of babies one year or younger watch TV or videos, with average viewing of more than an hour, the study found. A third of children under 6 have a TV in their bedroom. And more than half of parents surveyed said their main reason for putting a TV in their child's room was so that they or other family members could watch their own shows.

  Dr. Greenspan and others said that given the trend toward pushing the benefits of educational television and videos for infant and toddler development, more research needs to focus on that area. Studies have proven that educational programs like ''Sesame Street'' can aid learning for older children. But few studies have focused on developmental outcomes for children under 3.

• 

  PBS Parents "Children and Media"

  Television may be an inevitable part of young children's lives. Though some media researchers and pediatricians recommend that parents minimize their children's exposure to it — no TV for children under two, they suggest — it may be more useful to think about how TV does or does not fit into your child's overall development.

  Let your child know that watching TV can be an active experience rather than a passive one. You can do this by repeating words or phrases you hear during a show, encouraging your child to sing and dance along with characters, or talking to him about what he sees and hears.

  Be choosy about the shows you and your child watch. Read online and print reviews of shows, looking for ones appropriate for your child's age and stage of development. Turn off the set when a program you have selected is over.

  Prevent TV from replacing family time and active play. Limit your child's TV time. This will guarantee him uninterrupted time spent with you, playing with his peers or exploring the environment.

  Use TV shows and videos to enhance listening skills. Turn TV into a listening game: While watching a familiar show or movie, ask your child to turn her back to the TV set. When a familiar character begins to speak or sing, ask her to identify who it is just by listening.

  Make it clear that cartoon characters do things people cannot. If your child imitates something a television character does, you might remind him: Even though cartoon characters walk away from accidents, jumping off a swing can really hurt you.

• 

  Kids Health "How TV Affects Your Child"

  <

  Most children plug into the world of television long before they enter school: 70 percent of child-care centers use TV during a typical day. In a year, the average child spends 900 hours in school and nearly 1,023 hours in front of a TV.

  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV a day — even though the AAP guidelines say children older than 2 should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

  And, according to the guidelines, children under age 2 should have no "screen time" (TV, DVDs or videotapes, computers, or video games) at all. During the first 2 years, a critical time for brain development, TV can get in the way of exploring, learning, and spending time interacting and playing with parents and others, which helps young children develop the skills they need to grow cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally.

  Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.

  But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental: Research has shown that children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight. Research also indicates that TV consistently reinforces gender-role and racial stereotypes. Here are some practical ways you can make TV-viewing more productive in your home:

  - Limit the number of TV-watching hours.

  - Keep TVs out of your child's bedroom.

  - Turn the TV off during meals.

  - Try a weekday ban. Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends, and you'll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.

  - Make sure to turn off the TV when the "scheduled" program is over, instead of channel surfing until something gets your or your child's interest.

• 

  Dr. Greene "No More TV?"

  In a startling announcement in August,1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics officially recommended that children under age 2 watch no television at all. They pointed to the importance of face-to-face interactions with parents for child development. To me, this new policy underlines the value of each moment with our children, and reminds us that television is a powerful, entrancing influence. Both of these factors should be kept in mind as each family decides what role television will play in their lives. When my children were under 2, they were allowed to watch 1 to 2 hours of selected programming each day in addition to hours of quality time spent with mom or dad.

• 

  American Academy of Pediatrics "AAP Discourages Television for Very Young Children"

  A new policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents to avoid television for children under 2 years old.

  "While certain television programs may be promoted to this age group, research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant care givers for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills," the policy says.

  The new AAP statement on media education also suggests parents create an "electronic media-free" environment in children's rooms, and avoid using media as an electronic babysitter. In addition, it recommends pediatricians incorporate questions about media into routine child health visits, as education can reduce harmful media effects.

  "With an educated understanding of media images and messages, users can recognize media's potential effects and make good choices about their and their children's media exposure," states the new policy.

  Research strongly suggests that media education may result in young people becoming less vulnerable to negative aspects of media exposure, the AAP says. In some studies, heavy viewers of violent programming were less accepting of violence or showed decreased aggressive behavior after a media education intervention. Another study found a change in attitudes about wanting to drink alcohol after a media education program.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

• AAP "Smart Guide to Kids TV"

• Babble's Pediatrician Poll 3

JOIN THE DISCUSSION IN OUR MESSAGE BOARD

BACK TO ALL TOPICS

© 2006 Nerve Media