Raising children has to the toughest job in the world. Children can push you beyond your limits and make you want to call a time out to retreat and get your bearings. If, at this point, you plop the kids in front of the TV set and put on their favorite channel or DVD in exchange for a small dose of sanity – who can blame you?
In moderation, TV can be a great way to help toddlers learn the alphabet or for older kids to learn about nature or science. But if you feel a little guilty because the children identify more with the TV than with you, it might be time to make some changes. In honor of last week being TV turnoff week, here are four reasons why parents should limit the amount of TV their children watch.
The programming - Yes, there are plenty of educational programs on TV, but stats from “Children, violence and the media: a report for parents and policy makers” states that the typical American child is exposed to 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders on TV by the time they’re 18 years old. V-chip enabled TVs can help you screen out inappropriate content for your children – but don’t take that for granted. Wherever possible, it’s best that you monitor what your kids are watching and engage them by asking questions about what they’ve just seen.
The advertisements – Unless you’re watching commercial-free programming, you’ll be forced to deal with everything from beer and feminine hygiene commercials to toy or fast food restaurant commercials that are designed to get kids to nag their parents to buy stuff. Commercials often push the limits of what’s acceptable in an effort to catch your attention. Even a V-chip won’t screen commercials, so unless you pre-record the shows and skip through the commercials, there’s no telling what your children will see.
The inactivity - While it may be convenient for you, it’s not normal for kids to be inactive for long periods of time. In their natural state, children have endless amounts of energy and get into all sorts of mischief as they learn about the world around them. Exercise and exploration are essential for children to physically and mentally develop.
The medium - Even the best programs can’t change the fact that the television is an inanimate box with flashing lights and sound that engages hardly any of the viewer’s brain. Watching television is a passive activity where the viewer is safely removed from the events that transpire on the screen. There are concerns that this can lead to individuals that are similarly detached from those around them. As mentioned in our recent article about video games for toddlers, experts recommend no more than 30 minutes of screen time daily for children aged two-and-a-half to four.
Raising children isn’t easy and unfortunately reducing screen time will often result in added strife for parents. You can fill the void by planning family activities like going for a walk outside or playing board games instead of watching TV. A little less TV now may help parents avoid health, mental and social troubles from their kids down the road.
Learn more about how TV affects your child.
Comments
gogogidget
October 7th, 2009 - 7:42:24 AM
yes, "the television is an inanimate box with flashing lights and sound that engages hardly any of the viewer’s brain", this point really hit home for me. If kids can't interact with a dvd or a tv show in any meaningful way, then it's not good for them. An hour of television or a movie a day can't be too bad though.
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