By Ashli Collins, M.D.
If any parent heard there was a national health crisis where a disease was robbing their child of three to six hours of their daily life, increasing their risk of being overweight and decreasing their sensitivity to violence, parents would stand together and demand a cure. Unfortunately, there is such a health crisis — the overuse of television and other screen media in our lives today.
I am the first to agree that small amounts of television use are acceptable for our youth, but as with anything, moderation is the key.
In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics offered its first recommendations for TV viewing in children. Initially, it was reported that the AAP wanted to prohibit or ban TV use for children 0-2; it in fact “discourages” TV use in that age group. Their philosophy was that there are more appropriate activities for children of that age. Recent studies have been published to show that early viewing of TV may be associated with attention and cognitive problems in school. In fact, some shows geared toward an older audience of 3- to 5-year-olds, such as “ Sesame Street ,” when shown to younger children, may delay their language skills.
The biggest take-home points from the AAP's recommendations are as follows:
Obesity, as we all know, has become its own staggering epidemic. There have been multiple studies to try and prove that a sedentary lifestyle by our youth is the cause. In most studies, it is agreed that the more TV watched by kids, the more likely they are to be obese. Unclear, however, is the definite cause. Kids who are avid readers, another sedentary past time, do not seem to have the same clear connection to obesity. Whether it is just the decrease in physical activity, increased food intake — spurred on by commercials specifically targeted to kids for sugary, unhealthy snacks — or a lower metabolic rate, it remains clear that the more TV watched, the more kids tend to weigh.
Another problem with the overuse of TV is the desensitizing of today's youth to violence. Just as kids who are exposed to violence in their home begin to pattern those behaviors, kids who view violence on TV begin to think it is the norm. In many homes, television has become a near parent figure, providing hours of “supervision,” where the only lessons they learn are from their heroes on TV. While there is no way to avoid all types of violence on today's shows (just as many of us viewed “Tom and Jerry” and “The Three Stooges”), it is important to monitor what your kids are watching. This is certainly another opportunity to discuss with children what they are seeing and that it is not real, and that in real life we cannot do the same things. Parental controls on your televisions, as well as computers, are a must in today's society. There are plenty of inappropriate programs and commercials on at all hours of the day.
With all that said, television can be very educational, fun and entertaining. It can open the door to many conversations with your child, especially when you, as a parent, are struggling to find a way to bring up a topic. Schools are using many media resources to enhance their educational goals. My kids are big fans of “Discovery Kids” and “Animal Planet.” The take-home message with TV is that too much viewing can take up too much of an already very short childhood, and that when watching TV, it is the quality of what they are watching that really counts.
