| Too Much Screen Time?* The Effects of Television and Video Games on the Minds of Children by Tammy Simmons, M.S., CCC-SLP |
| A quick flip through the cable channels these days reveals dozens of channels aimed at children. From the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon to Noggin and Sprout, television execs are capitalizing on our children's keen interest in colorful, musical — and sometimes educational — programming. It's easy to be overwhelmed and give in to the "nag factor," but parents should remember that they are in control of what their children watch and should think carefully about the amount of time their children spend in front of any type of screen. Katherine and Gabriel Solis are very careful about monitoring screen time for daughter Elliott, age 5. "During a school week, she may watch 10 to 15 minutes in the morning while she's waking up and drinking her juice, then maybe 30 to 45 minutes at night," Katherine Solis wrote in a recent e-mail interview. "Some days, she won't watch any TV at all. We try to do a craft instead, or play outside if weather permits. We also prefer to read books at night, rather than watching TV." Getting Technical Dr. Jane Healy, author of "Endangered Minds,” writes, “Television anesthetizes our higher brain functions and disrupts the balance of interaction between the left and right hemispheres." The development of connection between areas in children's brains depends upon the kind of exercise the brain gets. It is these connections in the brain that are critical for development of language, reading and analytical thinking. American children spend 22-28 hours per week watching television. That is about three to four hours a day, and that does not even include time spent playing video games. Recent studies indicate that as little as two hours a day spent watching TV or playing video games can cause significant sleep problems in children and contribute to obesity and poor school performance. Additionally, researchers have found that for every hour young children watch violent programs per day, including violent cartoons, the risk for developing attention difficulties later in life doubles. Plus, watching violent or non-educational TV before the age of 3 correlates with the likelihood of having such attention problems as difficulty concentrating, restlessness, impulsive behavior and the tendency to be easily confused. Elizabeth Clark, mother to an active second-grader and fourth-grader, writes that, in her opinion, "TV and video games are sedentary, time eaters that take time away from outside and other creative play, like building forts out of the couch pillows." Clark and her husband, Tom, set rules for the TV and limit the Web sites their children access on the computer. "We only allow Webkinz and a little Disney stuff on the computer," she says. "There's no Nintendo, X-Box or PlayStation. I've considered the Wii, because I hear that physical activity is involved and they are off the couch, but I'm sure I would also have restrictions on that too." What's the Alternative? Alternatives to TV include playing and interacting with family and friends, leading, riding bikes, running, playing ball and laughing with friends. Interaction and play teach creativity, social skills, language development and motor skills, to name a few. In addition, parents who spend more direct interaction time with their children are able to shape their behavior and give positive reinforcement. Wondering how to change your child's tits? Start by following the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations: • No television for children 2 years and younger and a maximum of two hours for children older than that. • Watch TV as a family so that you know what your child is watching • Don’t put a TV in your child’s room. • Replace the time spent watching TV with other activities such riding bikes, working puzzles, playing games, making art projects, and reading books. When the TV is on and (Elliott) is awake, we have it on Noggin, Sprout, Nick Jr., or a kid movie,” Solis says. "News, sitcoms, dramas and any movie not rated are watched when she is not in the house or in bed asleep. We believe that once a child sees something, it is imprinted on his or her brain forever. We want her to be a kid for as long as she can. If that means that we as parents don’t get to watch everything that we want to watch, that’s fine.” *Tammy Simmons is the CEO of Access Group, Inc. This article appeared in the February 2008 edition of Little Rock Family. Used with permission. |
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