OK, I admit it. I’m an addict. When I’m alone, or I don’t have anything else to do, or I don’t want to do any of the three dozen things I’m supposed to be doing, watching TV is secretly my favorite pick. I was raised on "Gilligan" and "Good Times." By the age of eight, I had memorized every time slot for "Lucy" reruns. With careful planning, I could watch four different versions the same day.
But I’m hoping my son will have higher ambitions. According to his doctor, this means we’ll have to start early to control what he watches.
Before age two, children’s doctors now say that kids should avoid watching any TV. Sounds radical, but it’s based on concerns that early exposure to attention-grabbing TV may be behind the growth of attention deficit disorder (ADD), which can create behavior and language problems in children. Research shows that for healthy brain growth, babies and toddlers have a critical need for interaction with real, live people.
TV can’t supply that, no matter how educational it seems to be.
After age two, doctors say even one hour per day may be too much screen time for preschoolers; one to two hours should be the maximum for older children. That’s a big drop from the average American child’s three-hour-per-day TV habit.
What kids watch is just as important as how much. Violence is everywhere and the average child sees more than 14,000 references to sex on TV each year, few of which talk about sexual responsibility. So I know our work is going to get harder as junior’s interest expands beyond Big Bird. If we start now to fill his days with active play and conversation, maybe he can grow up free of the constant urge to zone out in front of the “tube.”
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics, Media Education Policy Statement.
Bryan Taylor is President of EduGuide and the father of two young children.