No TV for Under 3? Parents Disagree, But What Does Research Say?

COMMENTARY | In response to an article published in the Washington Post, which highlights some of the parental reactions over the recent assertion from the American Academy of Pediatrics that children under the age of 2 should not be exposed to television, I decided to do some research on this hot topic. After examining research from Science Daily, and pairing it with my own personal observations as a mother, I think I have a simple solution that will appease both sides of the debate: Go ahead and watch television, but talk to your baby as well.

After the American Academy of Pediatrics re-asserted their contention that children under the age of 2 should not be exposed to television at all, parents have had plenty to say. Jessica Gottlieb, a popular blogger from Los Angeles, gave a particularly clever response to advice on how to keep young children occupied while the caregiver is busy: “As for the ridiculous notion that a toddler will play with a nesting cup long enough for you to prepare a balanced dinner for a family? Preposterous.”

Some parents have an expressed opinion that television is not harmless, but necessary. How else are parents supposed to have any free time? And what about older siblings watching TV? Do they have to turn the screens off as well?

According to research conducted by Dimitri A. Christakis, M.D., MPH, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, “Television exposure during infancy has been associated with language delays and attention problems.” He goes on to say that when the television is on, there is less talking among parents, and consequently children. The study showed that parents utter fewer words to their children when the television is on, therefore, they are not affording their babies the imitation they require for language development.

I allowed my daughter to watch television, or be exposed to my television-watching, when she was under the age of 2, but I also interacted with her frequently, and wasn’t glued to the television set every minute. Her vocabulary and language skills were above average.

Since the study explicitly found problems in child language development when the children heard fewer words from caregivers, and since one of the suggestions from researchers is to talk to your child even if the television set is on, the solution is simple: Talk to your child about what is on the television, watch television programs that may be appealing to your little one, and use that as a platform for learning and discussion. Go ahead and watch “Ellen” for a break, but don’t forget to talk to your baby.


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