Kids and TV

I’ve found myself in several conversations recently about the dangers of babies and young children being exposed to too much television. The problem is not so much keeping your own children safe as protecting your grandchildren and others close to you, whose parents think you are exaggerating the problem . . . or that you are a total nut case.

Television is a convenient baby sitter for tired or busy parents. Yes, they admit, it would be better for the kids to be getting more exercise, and the commercials and programming they are exposed to are probably not doing them any good, but it’s not really that bad, or is it? New research is telling another story.

A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that watching videos as a toddler may lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder  in later life. TV watching "rewires" an infant’s brain. The damage shows up at age 7 when children have difficulty paying attention in school.

Exposing a baby’s developing brain to videos may overstimulate it, causing permanent changes in developing neural pathways. Even a child playing with its own fingers has the neural patterning that comes from bending, flexing, stretching and grasping. Scientists tell us that the brain develops in completely unique ways between birth and three years. As a baby sits "mesmerized", neural paths are not being created. This is crucial brain development that stops by age three.

No child under age two should watch television at all, the Academy of American Pediatrics advises. Doctors blame TV for increasing aggression and obesity in children, now they add ADHD risk to early TV use.

Here are the studies that back this up, where you’ll find much more information and sources. Print it out for friends and loved ones or send them the links.

It's Official: TV Linked to Attention Deficit

Television Impedes Baby Brain Development

What We Know About How Children Learn

TV Is A Poor Babysitter

Comments

[Imani]

Thanks Jon for posting about such a relevant topic for moms! As a mother of six homeschooled activist kids I cannot agree with you more - not only does the TV affect the brain development of our children but it also lessens the connections we share with them as parents. I believe consumerism is one of the most damaging aspects of our modern society and we expose our children to this repeatedly through the TV/computer in addition to every other media that bombards them in our overstimulated society - kids need to be kids and grow as nature intended. There are other ways to parent! I would love to share some of the ideas I am working on related to this in my upcoming book for moms looking to live more sustainably outlined in my blog at http://busymomsgogreen.blogspot.com/
Keep up the great work!