The average American child watches three hours of television a day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. That amount of exposure to anything is going to have an impact, and indeed, researchers have identified many effects that television has on kids. In general, experts say parents don't have to flat-out prohibit their kids from ever watching TV, but that they should be mindful of what and how kids watch--particularly when the children are very young.
Physical
Children who watch more than four hours of television a day are more likely to be overweight, according to KidsHealth.org. When kids are watching TV, they aren't getting exercise, and they're often snacking at the same time. Children's programming is full of ads for snack foods, soft drinks, sugared cereals and fast-food restaurants, all of which can encourage unhealthy choices. A review of research by the Kaiser Family Foundation, however, found that the causal link between TV watching and obesity was not entirely clear-cut. A sedentary lifestyle, which usually includes a lot of TV and a lot of snacking, may be more responsible for weight gain than the TV viewing itself, Kaiser says. Either way, heavy TV watching is a red flag for an unhealthy lifestyle at any age.
Developmental
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry both warn that television can interfere with critical cognitive and social development in early childhood. Time spent in front of the tube is time not spent reading, interacting with family, developing language and social skills, and participating in the kind of active and imaginative play that's essential for brain development. The younger the child, the greater the danger. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants and children under age two watch no TV at all, and that kids age two and older watch no more than an hour or two a day of educational programming.
Emotional
The average TV-watching child will see 200,000 acts of violence on television by age 18, says KidsHealth.org. That kind of exposure, especially at a young age, can desensitize a child to violence. In the very young, though, it can do the opposite, giving them a terrifying picture of a world where violence is far more common than it really is. TV can even imply that violence is a good and effective tool for conflict resolution, which confounds the message that parents are trying to send. Think about it: When a child has been told not to hit or kick, what is he to make of TV shows in which even the "good guys" use their fists to get things done? Telling a young child that a violent act he just saw on television is "not real" is meaningless. To a child with no life experience, the line between reality and fantasy isn't just fuzzy--it might not be there at all.
TV depictions of sex, and alcohol and drug use can have distorting effects along the same lines. When children have no frame of reference for such things in the real world, they're apt to lean on TV versions as the norm.
Financial
Just as young children struggle with the distinction between "real" and "fake," they also fail to see the difference between programming and commercials. After all, they're both coming from the same source--and on kids' television, the ads often feature the same characters as the shows. The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids see 40,000 commercials a year, but kids under eight tend not to understand that ads are trying to sell them something, not entertain them. Those under six often can't tell--or don't care--where the programming ends and the ads begin. The academy suggests talking with kids about the difference, and, until they're able to understand it, letting them watch only videos or shows recorded without commercials.
