Too much TV?

One of the issues I’ve faced with my older daughter, who is three, is how much television is appropriate?  Since very early on, I’ve always been cautious of how much TV she watches for fear of her becoming anti-social or less adjusted than her peers.  Growing up, you could always identify the kids who were “addicted” to television and/or video games, and I vowed not to let my children become that way.  Personally, I’ve never believed in any of the educational aspects of TV and DVDs, but I must admit that TV can be extremely convenient as a parent.  I know that when I have chores to do, or when I’m cooking dinner it’s easy to distract my daughter by putting on an episode of Barney or Dora the Explorer.  She has her own couch that she sits on, and it keeps her entertained while I am able to accomplish what needs to be done.  I feel that, in moderation, TV is appropriate for children- as long as they don’t become overly consumed with it.

Research done by the ALSC’s Children and Technology Committee suggests that children under the age of two should avoid screen time all together.  Not only can too much TV lead to kids not being very well adjusted, it can also lead to obesity and has been linked to Attention Deficit Disorder.  It has been suggested that libraries should begin to offer alternative entertainment sources, such as age-appropriate toys, finger plays, and board books instead of movies and computer games for kids.  The committee also suggests that libraries should offer baby-appropriate technology, such as interactive toys, as a way to offer parents a technological option without over stimulating the baby’s brain. 

These days, there are many mixed signals being sent to parents.  When we watch TV, we often see commercials advertising products such as Your Baby Can Read, which is a learning system claiming that it can teach infants to read before their first birthday.  Many DVDs that were previously thought to be “educational” have been recalled and refunded after removing wording from the packaging claiming that the DVDs were educational.  Simply stated, there are better educational alternatives for children.

In 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement urging parents to eliminate all screen time for children under two years, which includes TV, computers, video games and various phone applications geared toward children.  This is an issue that has been argued since the late 70’s, but it seems our children are watching more and more television.  According to the AAP, “the more TV preschoolers watch, the less well they do academically in the first grade; also, the more TV preschoolers watch, the less well-socialized they are in the first grade”.

Arthur, N. (2010).  Technology and television for babies and toddlers.  The Journal of the

Association for Library Service to Children, 8(2), 58-59. Retrieved December 8, 2010 from EbscoHost Database.