The pros and cons of television viewing for children
Studies show that viewing too much television can have adverse affects on children, causing more aggressive and violent behavior, poor school performance, early sexual activity and drug and alcohol use. "These children don't get as much physical activity and don't get exposed to new activities," said a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist. "Four-year-old children who watched TV in the childcare setting scored lower on measures of applied problem solving, language comprehension and expressive vocabulary."
Dr. Nina Chen offered a few statistics about American's television viewing habits:
* The average family has the TV on for 6.2 hours each day.
* Children watch an average of three to five hours of television every day.
* Most 2- to 5-year-old children watch TV an average of 31 hours each week; more than 4 hours each day.
* The average child witnesses 45 acts of violence on TV every day.
* Children's programming has an average of 26 violent acts every hour.
* Children see up to 50,000 TV commercials every year.
* Children spend 10 percent of their TV viewing time watching children's programs and 90 percent watching programs designed for adults.
* Children are more likely to be obese when they watch TV four or more hours per day.
Numerous studies found that TV violence seriously impacts children and teens, said Chen. For instance, children learn that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems.
Children may develop strong, emotional fears; imitate the violence they see on TV; become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; and identify with certain characters, victims or victimizers.
So is all TV viewing bad for children? "Some studies indicate that television viewing properly used in moderation can stimulate a child's education and creativity," said Chen. "Children who watched a moderate amount of TV performed better academically than children who excessively watched television and children who did not watch television."
Chen offered a few suggestions to help parents guide their children's television viewing:
* Put TV sets in family areas instead of in children's rooms.
* Monitor what your children are viewing; avoid violent or sexual content.
* Watch TV with your children and discuss the programs and commercials. Ask them questions and express your thoughts and feelings. This discussion process will help children critically evaluate programs and advertisements.
* Set limits on TV viewing; for instance, no television before homework or chores are done and during meals.
"Be a good role model for your children with your own TV viewing habits," said Chen. "They model what you do more than what you say."