TV Hurts Kids Of All Ages, Studies Say

Dr. Emily Senay Talks About The Consequences Of Too Much Television

(CBS)  Many experts claim that too much television isn't good for kids — they should read books or play outside instead.

Now two new studies in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine say that many very young children are watching TV regularly and teens who watch too much TV are more likely to be poor students.

The first study finds that 40 percent of infants are regular TV watchers by the time they are 3 months old. By the time they are 2 years old, 90 percent of children regularly watch TV. In most cases, it doesn't seem to be a matter of parents using the TV as a surrogate babysitter, but rather parents truly believe that shows aimed at tots will somehow expand their minds, language skills and cognitive abilities, the study found.

"It's easy to assume that many parents are so occupied by chores, or attention they need to pay to their other kids, that they turn the TV into a second babysitter," The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay said. "But that's not what the numbers show."

Yet studies have never proved that television shows help a child learn.

"There's no hard evidence one way or the other for kids so young, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has made its expert opinion clear," Dr. Senay said. "It urges parents to discourage TV viewing for children younger than 2. The Academy says it's much better for a child's development to talk to the child, or to play sing and read together. It also says even when they're older, kids should not have televisions in their bedrooms."

The second study found that 14-year-olds who watch more than three hours of TV a day are far more likely to have a negative attitude toward school, skip homework and to have trouble paying attention than kids who watch one hour or less a day. In turn, kids in that group are less likely to go to college.

"That study surveyed more than 600 families with grown children ... and the association with bad outcomes appeared to be profound," Dr. Senay said. "However, the study found that many kids who drastically cut their television viewing had sharp turnarounds for the better."

But Dr. Senay said that the damage can be undone. If the children who watch more than three hours of television drastically cut their viewing time, they greatly improve their chances of going to college.

"That's a good indication that parents who clamp down on the TV viewing — or maybe even better — teenagers who realize they're watching too much and cut back the hours on their own, can really improve academic performance," Dr. Senay said. "And given the vast differences in the job market between college graduates and people who didn't get past high school, the lead researcher says the decision to cut back before it's too late can ultimately have a profound effect on a young person's life."

[memerider]

I agree that TVs should not be placed in anyone's bedroom (unless they are sick or injured with limited mobility). TV can be enriching--let kids pick several shows a week (total) to watch, and maybe watch a couple of shows together as a family.

[memerider]

I agree that TVs should not be placed in anyone's bedroom (unless they are sick or injured with limited mobility). TV can be enriching--let kids pick several shows a week (total) to watch, and maybe watch a couple of shows together as a family.

[michellem99-2009]

I have favourite programmes that I watch. They could do a better job on what they air. I am not talking about censorship here.We have the remote plus the v chip.This is the site I saw on TV.
www.TheTVBoss.org and I just looked at the site.
In my day, We were not allowed to talk back to grown up when we were kids. We did not whine. If the TV was on at meal time,company over, and the like it was switched off.
I have seen children boss their Mum in public,whine,act out,naughty,etc. At my age I am shocked.It not my place to tell them how to bring up John/Jane Doe.That is their 24/7 job.
I do feel that are are unfit programming on TV for their minds of all ages.
I feel it is the parents who must step upto the plate here when it comes to what is watched,what computer games are played.

[ecuadoriana]

hypnotoad72 wrote "If television was a race of humans, everybody would be going 'Stop the telephobia!'"

That really cracked me up! Most people already DO treat television as if it were a living, breathing, all-knowing entity. There it sits in the corner, dominating the room like a bloated drunk uncle interupting conversation & family harmony. It demands sacrificial offerings in the form of time, money, tranquility. It screams & makes demands like a spoiled child. Everyone caters to it rather than pull out it's life support plug. They're fraid to admit that they're not living, but merely existing under house arrest, enslaved to the fear of spending time alone with themselves ("Oh, I like to have it on for background noise"), with their family ("We watch quality family programmes"), with friends ("We all get together to watch 'Friends'").

It is treated like a shrine to rape & murder. The same people who we'd never invite into our homes have HD representation in every room of the house. It is allowed to come in to rape & murder our lives. It sparkles & shines to blind us from the truth.

[ecuadoriana]

hypnotoad72 wrote "If television was a race of humans, everybody would be going 'Stop the telephobia!'"

That really cracked me up! Most people already DO treat television as if it were a living, breathing, all-knowing entity!

There it sits in the corner, dominating the room like a bloated drunk uncle interupting conversation & family harmony. It demands sacrificial offerings in the form of time, money & tranquility. It screams & demands like a spoiled child. Everyone caters to it rather than pull it's life support plug. They're fraid to admit that they're not living, but merely existing under house arrest, enslaved to the fear of spending time alone with themselves ("Oh, I like to have it on for background noise"), with their family ("We watch quality family programes"), with friends ("We all get together to watch 'Friends'").

It is worshipped like a shrine to rape & murder. The same people who we lock our doors against we have given HD representation in every room of the house. It's allowed to come in to rape & murder our lives. It sparkles & shines to blind us from the truth.

[michellem99-2009]

I am 52. I never had children. I feel that a postee said it best.I was born in the US of A. I have always been poor. There was TV in the homes. Ww did watch the teley when an adult was in the room to watch what we saw.
We played outdoors growing up.
We had household duties that were in line with our age. I was the only blind child in the home.
We really played. Kids need that. There is a time and place for TV. It is not a baby sitter.
We grew a garden of food to eat and can.
That was pre computer in the home.
Teach them to play,build with blocks, toy bricks, trucks ,dolls, and other things that teach. Kids need hands on things to learn. The computer is for school age today.

[amasreliez]

The fact of the matter is that the situation in teh U.S. is appalling and the drop out rate is what it is for a reason. The reality is that this is not about quality content, it is about brain development. People are inherantly lazy and emotional on this topic without the will to challenge norms. According to ar recent study, children who watched less than one hour of TV per day were twice as likely to go to college as those who watched three or more hours per day. (http://news.com.com/Study+U.S. babies watching TV%2C despite warnings/2100-1026_3-6181973.html?tag=cd.top)

%u2022 over 50% of children age 4 and younger in the U.S. have a T.V. set in their bedrooms. (NPR.org)

%u2022 UW study shows that 40% of 3-month year old infants are watching T.V. -- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070507.wlbabytv/BNStory/lifeFamily/home

%u2022 American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no watching for babies under the age of 2 and limited exposure later

%u2022 Children under the age of 4 watching T.V. are more likely to suffer from obesity and have sleeping disorders (AAP.org)

The brain develops at critical phases through play, movement and use of active imagination.

%u201CFew people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) %u201C

[amasreliez]

The fact of the matter is that the situation in teh U.S. is appalling and the drop out rate is what it is for a reason. The reality is that this is not about quality content, it is about brain development -- helping one be wired to achieve his/her highest learning potential.

According to ar recent study, children who watched less than one hour of TV per day were twice as likely to go to college as those who watched three or more hours per day. (http://news.com.com/Study+U.S. babies watching TV%2C despite warnings/2100-1026_3-6181973.html?tag=cd.top)

%u2022 over 50% of children age 4 and younger in the U.S. have a T.V. set in their bedrooms. (NPR.org)

%u2022 UW study shows that 40% of 3-month year old infants are watching T.V. -- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070507.wlbabytv/BNStory/lifeFamily/home

%u2022 American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no watching for babies under the age of 2 and limited exposure later

%u2022 Children under the age of 4 watching T.V. are more likely to suffer from obesity and have sleeping disorders (AAP.org)

The brain develops at critical phases through play, movement and use of active imagination.

%u201CFew people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) %u201C

[hypnotoad72]

Whoever wrote the article has prejudice against television. If television was a race of humans, everybody would be going "Stop the telephobia!", "Tube power!", "NTSC is beautiful, baby!" and so on...

It's not the television. It's what's being aired on television.

Not to mention most people who make television programs prefer having large audiences, so that the advertisers get their money's worth. How do accomplish that? Engage the 'lowest common denominator'. In this case, dumbing people down. Anything that dares be intelligent or add to one's intelligence is shot down by the pop-culturist mindset. The same idiots want Paris Hilton freed as well, go figure.

Glib generalizations get people nowhere.

[jones115-2009]

to ecuadoriana-
just admit it,
you know very well if a child is being entertained and taught at the same time, they learn more.
get over it.

[ecuadoriana]

"I don't know of any REAL LIFE mother who doesn't, after a good bath...doesn't put Jr. in his bouncer chair in front of Seseame St. or Nick Jr..." Posted by smartesusieq.

What do you think moms did before the advent of TV- back in the day before birth control, when women a LOT of children, no SUVs, microwaves, washing machines, electricity, phones, plumbing, etc? Perhaps after a bath- one she had to fill w/ buckets of water boiled on a wood stove- she had the kids chop some more wood & haul in more water. Perhaps they did a bit of work in the garden, cared for younger siblings, swept floors, washed dishes, mended clothes, fed the animals, went fishing, played in the yard... If they were too young mom put them in a cradle with a couple of homemade toys or carried them around while she did her work- kids learned "how to" at mom's side.

My point? Kids don't need to entertained while being educated. Education comes from doing stuff which can be entertaining! It comes from recognising the relationship between family & responsibility. Chores teach responsibility. That is the best education a parent can give to their kids. That & letting the kids stack some ABC blocks thereby learning first hand about balance, gravity, coordination, design, the alphabet, cooperation...

My daughter is in her early 20's. We never had a tv or computer & she's turned out extrememly well balanced, educated, responsible & mature.

[Razzl]

It should be noted that the substance of this article doesn't support or even address the pop-cultural "everything on tv is junk" mindset. The first point, that under-2-year-olds don't benefit from tv, has to do with developmental issues in infants that would take a biopsychology course to cover, but I have no trouble agreeing with.

The second point, about teenagers, merits more detailed discussion. Were the teenagers always choosing their own programming? What was the nature of the programming? Was the programming engaging or did it just encourage passivity? Does the type of programming matter or not?

As for the "there's nothing but junk on tv" crowd, I will say as a tv baby from the '60's and an avid adult tv watcher today that there's never been more good programming on tv (cable) if you understand what's good. PBS, National Geographic, Discovery, Nova, Animal Planet, MSNBC, C-Span, even Turner Classic Movies or the Food Channel or the Travel Channel, bright young minds have a wealth of quality all through the day if the parents are educated enough to steer them to it...

[krannawitter]

Short and simple. I have two boys. Age 5 and 1. My oldest has been aloud to watch tv his whole life. He has had a tv in his room since he was 2! He maybe watches 30 mins of TV a day. He would much rather interact with his toys, or his brother. In the summer I hafta fight for him to ever come in.

As for my 1 year (15 months) old. He could care less about tv. He has yet to ever do more than glance over that way for a minute or two to see what all the noise was about. He's too busy enjoying life!

So maybe it has nothing to do with TV sets, or what parents allow regarding TV. All I know is the more you make something forbidden, the more kids crave it. Make it completely open and it's boring.

[smartesusieq]

sankekorafi= good note. Yes, deny a child ... once a child gets his hands on object of denial they never let go!
Tell a daughter she can't date a boy... she'll go out of her way to find him... Let her and she will learn on her own if he is no good.
Tell children they can't do drugs, they die in a crack house... advise them, lead them, be an example to them... teach them each action has consequences and let them learn. They end up in Ivy League colleges hating drugs.
(rule rather than exception)

Anyway, good point

[smartesusieq]

LETS GET REAL... the AMA and Emily perhaps has forgotten what middle American Mom's (and Dad's for that matter) lives are like. I am proud to say that yes, I always talked and played with my babies through out the day. But goodness, I have other children, sometimes I need a shower, and yes, sometimes family needs food, and occasionally the dishes need washing.
So YES, I don't know of any REAL LIFE mother who doesn't, after a good bath, some play time, and a feeding; doesn't put Jr. in his bouncer chair in front of Seseame St. or Nick Jr. where their are additional educative material, like colors, shapes, language, and other things that help a baby or child map their brain.
I think AMA and Ms. Senay are a little out of touch of the real world. I doubt they know about Blue's Clues or how Nick Jr. designs their shows to enhance learning IF perhaps Mom just happens to have to shower or attend to a large family. None of my kids lacked family interaction in anyway, but the occasional quiet time with the Blue puppy teaching language, shapes and connecting clues is certainly not detrimental to a child.
Ms. Senay was shocked to find that parents used tV as educational tools. I thought it was the number one reason next to taking a shower or making lunch for the rest of the kids.
SusieQ
Mom of 5-2 still in home and granma of 4
Emily should spend a day at my house!

[sankekorafi]

As a babysitter, there's one thing I've noticed about kids that don't watch all that much television: when they do watch television, they cannot stop! Kids with television time limited to less than 1 hr a day will watch tv all day if they are allowed to. Obviously watching tv constantly is a bad idea, but I stopped watching all that much tv on my own sometime around age 10... it just stopped being that interesting. By contrast, some peers who grew up with very little tv have a hard time getting away from it now, in college, when they really have to get something accomplished.