Turn Off TV Week just ended. I'm not sure how many families banished TV for a whole week, but the event reminds us that we do need to be mindful of the role TV plays in children's lives. There are lots of reasons to be cautious about what TV children watch and how much.
Children's development: About 6 months ago France banned a TV channel designed for infants and toddlers. I don't think that could happen in the US, but there are strong reasons to limit toddlers' exposure to TV. Here's what the American Academy of Pediatrics has to say. "The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age two and how it could affect your child's development. Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it's used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products to toddlers. Any positive effect of television on infants and toddlers is still open to question, but the benefits of parent-child interactions are proven. Under age two, talking, singing, reading, listening to music or playing are far more important to a child's development than any TV show."
Children's health: I recently heard Dr. Richard Daines, the NYS Commissioner of Health, talking about the growing epidemic of obesity among even very young children. I was shocked to learn that children today have a lower life expectancy than their parents, largely due to the rise in obesity and related chronic disease such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. 17% of children ages 2-19 in the US are classified as obese. In parts of NY State as many as 24% of children are obese. How does TV relate? It offers commercial after commercial hawking high-fat foods and sugary drinks to a captive audience of inactive children, a combination with a high, even lethal, price tag.
Children's spirits: When I look at early evening TV, I'm often repulsed by the mean-spiritedness of early evening shows... ineffective parents, mouthy, worldly kids and cynical teens and an amazing amount of sexual innuendo. And in the world of cable, there's plenty of violence and mayhem available at all hours. Adults can sort through this input and think about it critically. Young children can't - they don't have the developmental tools. Go to almost any classroom or playground and you'll see the way this exposure influences children's language and play. It undermines many of the values families most want to pass on to their children.
I grew up in a home where the TV was on almost all the time. Even when we ate dinner, the sound of the TV drifted into the kitchen from the empty living room. Coming from that kind of environment, I thought a lot about the impact of TV on my own children and struggled to limit their TV time (and sometimes it was a struggle).
I'm not recommending that families need to abstain completely from TV. I understand that parents sometimes just need a break to take a shower or prepare dinner, and TV is one way to keep children occupied, and there are worthwhile and age-appropriate programs that the whole family can enjoy. In the end it comes down to parents playing a role in setting sensible limits, making good choices about content and teaching children to make good choices about how TV fits in their lives. Watching TV with children and talking with them about it is an important way to differentiate between fact and fiction and to help children to understand and be thoughtful and critical about what they see.
One last thought - if you find a child care center or family child care home that allows children a lot of TV screen time, think twice before enrolling your child. Children need time for relationships, play, and learning and practicing new skills - what a waste to lose precious hours to passive TV watching.
Want to learn more about TV and kids? Try this website: http://www.tvturnoff.org/