TV and kids

++ I have heard and read much discussion in recent years about the effects of TV-watching on children. The biggest health-related concern is that when a person is watching television, s/he is not physically active, and may be eating mindlessly. This contributes to obesity and all the health complications associated with it. There are also education-related concerns: some programming will teach children the alphabet, how to count (often in more than one language), etc., but children are not learning social skills in the process. Success in school starts with being able to pay attention for more than a few seconds, being able to follow instructions, respect for authority, communicating effectively with others and being able to get along with them, etc. Children can start learning these skills by the time they learn to walk; but, learning pre-math and pre-reading skills depends on developmental readiness. Ask any teacher you know!

Now, the ramifications of these issues have been quantified by a large, long-running Canadian study of over 1300 children, which was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times, and carried by other newspapers. The study first looked at the amount of TV per week that was watched by 2-1/2 year olds. Seven years later (and periodically between), the researchers at Institut de la Stastique du Quebec looked at the amount of TV the children, then in 4th grade, were watching, and at how they were faring in school. Here is an outline of their findings:

• average TV viewing at 29 months = 8.8 hr/wk; at 4-1/2 years = 14.8 hr/wk, and continued to increase
• For every extra hour/week of TV viewing at 29 months, that child, by 4th grade, has measurably lowers levels of classroom engagement, poorer math skills, higher body mass index (BMI - a measure of degree of fatness), and a higher risk of being bullied.
• As TV viewing increased among their parents, fourth-graders had an increase in over-all screen time (TV, videos, computer games, etc.), increased BMI, and lower level of physical fitness.

The researchers surmise that the brains of toddlers are developing the basics of "effortful control." TV-watching somehow disrupts this process, and the results become more and more worrisome as children progress through school and are exposed to more and more challenging subject matter. They did not address the bullying issue, but my take on that is that children who are less fit don't do as well in sports, and they appear to the bullier be less able to stand up for themselves. Other research has shown that watching any kind of programming before the age of 2 does not confer any benefits in learning language or motor skills.

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that children under the age of 2 years not watch any TV, and that it be limited in older children. In the United States, toddlers average about 1-1/2 hours per day watching TV.

Bottom line in practice: The experts cited by the public health agency I work for recommend no screen time for children under the age of 2, and no more than 10 hours/week for older children. Parents are advised to monitor the programs watched by the children in their care. Children are great at copying behavior they see, so it is best that they are not often exposed to violence and other asocial behavior. If the program has a lot of merit, otherwise, as documentaries sometimes do, discuss it with the children. I often add that instead of TV, children can be entertained by reading or by imaginative play, such as with dolls, toy cars, etc.; that some active play is also necessary for good development; and that even if siblings are arguing (and driving parents nuts), they are learning about talk and behavior that is - or is not - acceptable to others. I also point out what the characters on the screen are eating. It sure isn't 5 servings/day of vegetables!