The average American family with children has not one, not two, but at least three TVs in the home, according to a 2002 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average American child over the age of 8 spends four hours a day in front of one these screens, adds KidsHealth. This "screen time" can have both positive and negative effects on a kid's life.
General Benefits
Kids receive many benefits from the appropriate amount of television. Funny television that elicits laughter can relax the body, boost the immune system, trigger the release of the body's feel-good chemicals called endorphins and protect the heart, cites HelpGuide.org. Through television, children can learn about different cultures, eras and parts of the world. Through the news, children can learn about current events.
Academic Effects
Educational television programs may benefit your child academically. According to a 2001 study published in "Child Development," children ages 2 to 7 who watched one to three hours of educational programming each week had higher test scores three years later than children who didn't watch educational programming. However, children who have TVs in their bedroom generally perform worse on tests than children who don't, cites the Mayo Clinic.
By law, commercial networks must air at least three hours per week of educational programming. Commercial channels tend to emphasize social-emotional lessons, such as sharing and getting along with others, while public stations teach more cognitive-intellectual lessons, cites a 2008 study by Children Now.
Health Effects
Excessive TV watching is linked to obesity because children often sit inactive in front of the screen, snacking and watching numerous commercials for unhealthy foods. The more TV children watch, the more confused they are about which foods are healthy and which foods aren't, according to a 2005 study led by Kristen Harrison, a professor of speech communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. More than 70 percent of the food commercials shown during children's programming are for fast-food restaurants, sugary foods, chips, crackers and sugar-laden beverages, cite researchers at the University of California, Davis.
Behavioral Effects
From violence to risky sexual activity and from smoking to drugs, children may imitate the negative behaviors they see on TV. The average American child sees 200,000 violent acts on TV by age 18, cites KidsHealth. TV often glorifies violent behavior, while failing to show the repercussions. Likewise, TV characters make drinking and even teen pregnancy seem cool. Teens who watch a lot of sexual content on TV are more likely to engage in sexual activities earlier than their peers who don't watch sexually explicit shows, warns KidsHealth. Kids who watch five or more hours of TV a day are more likely to smoke than those kids who watch less than two hours of TV a day, according to KidsHealth.
Recommended Amount
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children watch no more than two to three hours of television a day. Children under the age of 2 should not watch any TV. Limit screen time by setting a TV schedule, keeping televisions out of bedrooms and turning off the TV during mealtimes. You can encourage good viewing habits by monitoring what your children watch, watching TV with them and not allowing snacks during TV time.
References
- American Behavioral Scientist: Measuring Children's Media Use in the Digital Age: Issues and Challenges
- KidsHealth: How TV Affects Your Child
- HelpGuide.org: Laughter Is the Best Medicine: The Health Benefits of Humor
- EurekAlert!: Television Can Enhance Children's Intellectual Development, Study Finds
- Mayo Clinic: Children and TV: Limiting Your Child's Screen Time
- EurekAlert!: New Study Shows Reduction in High Quality Educational Programming for Children
