Experts Are Concerned about Tots Watching TV
Parents do not seem to be heeding expert pediatrician guidelines that urge a ban on TV watching for their very youngest children, says a report in the journal Pediatrics.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently recommends that children two and younger watch no TV at all.
However, a new study finds that on a typical day, 63 percent of children between zero and two years old watch television, and as many as one in five youngsters under two even have a television placed in their bedrooms.
More than half (54 percent) of these tiny tots could turn on the TV themselves.
"I understand the AAP's stance, because we don't yet know the neurological implications of screen time in young children," says the study's author, Elizabeth Vandewater, Ph.D., at the University of Texas in Austin.
On the other hand, she says, "I don't think the guidelines are realistic."
The study's findings were not all bad. Dr. Vandewater found that just over half of three- to four-year-olds and 70 percent of five- and six-year-olds watched no more than the recommended limit of two hours daily. In the three-to six-year old children, TV in the bedroom became more common, with about one-third having a set in the bedroom.
To learn more about actual viewing habits in young children, Dr. Vandewater and her colleagues surveyed 1,051 parents of young children during 2005.
They asked about media use, whether or not there was a TV in the bedroom, and also about other activities, such as reading and playing outdoors, to see if TV use was supplanting other pursuits.
On an average day, three-quarters of children watched at least some television, and about one-third watched videos or DVDs, the study found. The average viewing time was one hour and 20 minutes, which falls within the AAP guideline of no more than one to two hours for children over three.
The researchers did not find that TV typically displaced other activities, such as reading or outdoor play. However, Dr. Vandewater says that in previous research she has conducted, she has found that TV may replace time spent interacting with parents.
"It's important to remember that if you turn off the TV, the assumption is that the family will spend time together, but that's not always true," she notes. "They might find other things to do separately. It's also important that we don't assume all time spent with parents is good, quality time.
"If parents are under stress, that's not necessarily a good time to be together, and it might not be so bad to pop in a video for a half an hour," Dr. Vandewater says.
She also commiserates with parents who might find the "no TV" rule tough to adhere to.
"Media and technology are not going away," says Dr. Vandewater. "They're part of the backdrop of our everyday lives - TV stands are now standard living room furniture. So, we need to figure out how to give advice that's workable."
Dr. Christopher Lucas, at the New York University Child Study Center in New York City, agrees that it is difficult to keep children under two from watching any TV, because TV has become so ubiquitous in American life.
"The guidelines seem out of sync with what the reality is," says Dr. Lucas.
Neither Dr. Vandewater or Dr. Lucas is specifically advocating TV watching for young children. Instead, they are just acknowledging that it does occur and that there is currently no evidence to prove that it is harmful.
Dr. Lucas says to be helpful, TV needs to be put into context for children.
"Unsupervised, passive watching probably isn't helpful, but educational media - when watched with parents or another caregiver - could be helpful," he notes.
Both Dr. Vandewater and Dr. Lucas were concerned about the growing trend of TVs in children's bedrooms. Most often, parents interviewed in the study said they put a TV set in their kid's room because it freed up other TVs in the house for parental use.
"There is a growing body of literature showing that TV in the bedroom is related to a host of negative outcomes," says Vandewater. "I would strongly urge parents not to put TV in a child's bedroom.
"There's this belief that TV is helpful to children and may soothe them, but TV activates the brain and actually makes it more difficult to sleep," explains Dr. Lucas.
Dr. Vandewater's final advice? "Media is a treat. Like any other treat, it's best in moderation."
Always consult your physician for more information.
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As children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear, especially television.
While television programs can be educational, many children watch too much television.
TV programs can show children violent behavior that you do not want them to imitate, or that can cause fear.
TV may also show children poor eating habits through commercials for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods.
Too much TV watching can take away time from reading, studying, learning activities, play, and/or exercise.
Television can also show alcohol and/or drug use, smoking, and sexual behavior before a child is emotionally ready to understand these issues and practice good decision making.
Parents can help decrease the harmful effects of television watching by screening the type of programming and limiting the amount of time a child watches television.
The following are suggestions for helping set good television viewing habits:
Choose programs for your child to watch. Always plan what your child will see on TV.
Do not turn on the TV randomly. Give choices between two programs you think are appropriate for your child.
Limit TV viewing to one or two hours a day for children older than two years of age.
Turn to educational shows from the local Public Broadcasting Station (PBS), or from programming such as Discovery Channel, Learning Channel, or History Channel.
Watch TV with your child. Talk about what happened on the show.
Talk about what was good or what was bad about the program.
Talk about the difference between reality and make-believe.
Turn the TV off if the program is something you believe your child should not see.
Do not assume all cartoons are acceptable and appropriate, as many cartoons contain violence.
Many daytime programs (such as soap operas and talk shows) are not appropriate for children.
Be a good example to your child by not watching too much television yourself. Be involved in other activities, especially reading.
Read to your child. Encourage play and exercise for your child. Plan other fun activities for your child, so he/she has choices instead of TV.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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