The Truth About Television

Recent research explains the effects of television for children under two years old, but for the older crowd, it's not so bad after all.  It is more a matter of maintaining a quality check and control the time of exposure.  Parents and caretakers should determine how much screen time is enough for their child considering they should also be exposed to outdoor play, family events, sports and other social activities.  (By screen time, I mean activities that involve sitting in front of a screen; such as watching TV, playing video games or sitting in front of a computer.)  It is extremely important that children develop skills that will help them thrive as social individuals, so they need to communicate verbally (not through texting) to other human beings.  Also, they need to develop real relationships with real feelings and real people, which is only possible through constant human contact and not possible when screen time is excessive.  On the other hand, screen time provides a child with learning experiences, such as development of visual motor skills (video games), computer skills, language development and social skills (they learn these vicariously through a character's experience).  The fact of the matter is that children's television programs can be very educational in and of itself.  For example, programs such as Barney and Sesame Street provide a wealth of eduacational content.  Moreover, parents can use television scenes to explain or teach different types of appropriate behavior and feelings (also known as vicarious learning).  For example, the other day, while watching Problem Child, I found various scenes that were useful in teaching my oldest son appropriate behavior and how misbehaving affects other people's feelings.  Finally, screen time provides both, parent and child, with a space to relax and hopefully enjoy an individual activity.  Nonetheless, sharing screen time, like watching a program together or playing a video game, can be a a  priceless bonding opportunity.  Thus, classifying children's screen time as all bad is a bit drastic.... it's more a matter of controlling the quality and screen exposure time as well as making the best out of it.

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