WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Study shows too much TV not good for young

Study shows too much TV not good for young

(Columbia) Oct. 28, 2003 - You might want to limit how much time your baby spends around the TV because a new study says too much television exposure could affect later learning, even for young babies.

Children six and under in American spend an average of two hours a day watching TV or using computers and video games. That's triple the time they're read to.

A nationwide parents' survey by Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit group, found that too much TV is not good for children.

Ellen Wartella, a researcher, says one in four children under the age of two has a TV in their bedroom,"Is it used to put them to sleep? Is that what parents are doing? We don't know why or how these media are having an impact."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television for children under the age of two because of unknowns about its impact on early development. This panel of child experts conceded that rule is not practical in most American homes.

Indeed, the Kaiser study did not probe what infants and pre-schoolers are watching, or what electronic games they play, just how long they watch.

Matthew Melmed, a child expert, warns media is no substitute for child's play and bonding with other kids and parents, "What we know from research is kids need what parents have been giving them for thousands of years, love and nurture and being there to help them understand their world and explain it to them."

Experts agree that far more research needs to be done about the ever-growing role of media and its impact on our children.

Posted 5:40pm by Eva Pilgrim