Hot Topic (11/17): Children overdosing on television?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

 

Watching TV makes toddlers aggressive

By Daily Mail Reporter

Children under two should not watch any TV according to U.S health experts. The latest study found it increased aggressive behaviour

Watching television makes toddlers more likely to kick and scream, according to a U.S study. And the longer they are sat in front of the box, the worse their behaviour becomes.

Just having the TV on in the background, even if the child wasn't watching it, was also linked to disruptive behavior although the relationship wasn't as strong, said the researchers.

'Parents should be smart about TV use,' reseacher Jennifer Manganello from the University at Albany, New York, said.

'They should limit the time that children use TV, pay attention to the content of TV programs, and consider how TV is used throughout the home.'

The study looked at 3,128 women from 20 U.S. cities who had a child between 1998 and 2000.

While there was some diversity of education among the study participants, one-third hadn't graduated from high school.

Two-thirds of the mothers said their three-year-old watched more than two hours of TV a day, and the average viewing time for children was around three hours. On average, the TV was on for about five additional hours on a typical day.

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Does this study concern you?

Are young children watching too much television?  Should toddlers be prevented from watching television? 

Should anything be done about this issue?

[tha-hawt-mommie]

Does this study concern you?
**No it doesnt. My kids watch TV , and my son , now 5, is fine. TV didnt make him different at all. He still is very smart , very imaginative ...

Are young children watching too much television?  Should toddlers be prevented from watching television?
**Its up to the parents to say how much is too much for THEIR kids. Again up to tha parents to prevent it as well. 

Should anything be done about this issue?
**If anything is going to be done , the parents should do it. if they think tv cause their kids to be a certain way - they need to take the tv away , limit it , whatever.  

 

[Mergath]

My daughter is under two, and while she doesn't really watch much tv, my husband has it on in the background occasionally when there's something on that he wants to watch, like the news. I haven't seen an increase in disruptive behavior.  

For people who don't have, for example, a separate playroom from their living room, it's not very realistic to think that the toddler will never be around a tv that's on.  We certainly don't leave it on all day long, however.  

[AdkArmyMom]

Quoting Mergath:

My daughter is under two, and while she doesn't really watch much tv, my husband has it on in the background occasionally when there's something on that he wants to watch, like the news. I haven't seen an increase in disruptive behavior.  

For people who don't have, for example, a separate playroom from their living room, it's not very realistic to think that the toddler will never be around a tv that's on.  We certainly don't leave it on all day long, however.  

I agree with Mergath.  It's unrealistic to think that toddlers won't be exposed to the tv if there's only one common area in the house (as is the case in our home).    I did monitor what the kids watched during the day when they were younger.  It was pretty much limited to the PBS shows.
At night, though, we'd have the news on and shows that we watched.  If they were really inappropriate for young viewing, we didn't watch them when the kids were around. 

I don't know if it's a matter of how much tv young people watch.  Certainly, infants and young toddlers don't really need to be parked in front of the tv.  As they get older, I think it's more about what they watch.  If they're subjected to violent shows, games, etc, then it would stand to reason that it could possibly affect them in a negative way.

[bakebiscotti]

Just another study designed to make moms feel guilty

[Gail_Ann77]

TV is always a concern, it is always on at our house and i am the worst i watch a lot of TV

our kids are now all teens, there is no doubt it is not a good thing but the most interesting thing i recently learned is kids under two should not hear the TV  or watch commercial TV because by the time they enter school they will only have an attention span of 7 minutes because there is 7 minutes until commercial

very tough thing to keep under control

[rotPferd]

Agree and may I add, just a waste of time, resources, and money. I mean, what does it really prove?

Quoting bakebiscotti:

Just another study designed to make moms feel guilty

[PsychMommie]

Quoting rotPferd:

Agree and may I add, just a waste of time, resources, and money. I mean, what does it really prove?

Quoting bakebiscotti:

Just another study designed to make moms feel guilty

Well some people are concerned with the youth or the next generation, not I am not saying that there could be flaws in this research but no one is attacking you. They are doing studies to help better educate and raise the children of tomorrow. If you choose to ignore it that is your choice, if it makes you feel guilty then maybe it is something you are doing not the researchers.

As for me just like when they said that children with low self esteem do worse over all, so then everyone started praising their kids and telling them how great they are ALL THE TIME. So now we have a generation of the you owe me, and we are entitled. Everything should be done in moderation. Television is not going to make your child ignorant, but it make make their attention span shorter and more violent.  The less they watch the less likely this is to happen.

What really amazes me is how much people defend their television, we do all realize that television is not actually neccessary to kids right.  A child can go thier whole life without watching it and still be perfectly intelligent, functioning adults in society.

[Mommy_of_Riley]

My son has his favorite shows and watching a movie before naptime is his special treat.  Hes not overly-aggressive and hes very imaginative.  He sings along and claps with The Little Einstiens (he loves that show) and he could probably recite Toy Story without looking at it...  LOL

[rotPferd]

My youngest will be 13 next month. These so called "studies" have been going on for years and they pretty much say the same thing over and over with little variation. That's what I was trying to get at.

Quoting PsychMommie:

 

Quoting rotPferd:

Agree and may I add, just a waste of time, resources, and money. I mean, what does it really prove?

Quoting bakebiscotti:

Just another study designed to make moms feel guilty

 

Well some people are concerned with the youth or the next generation, not I am not saying that there could be flaws in this research but no one is attacking you. They are doing studies to help better educate and raise the children of tomorrow. If you choose to ignore it that is your choice, if it makes you feel guilty then maybe it is something you are doing not the researchers.

As for me just like when they said that children with low self esteem do worse over all, so then everyone started praising their kids and telling them how great they are ALL THE TIME. So now we have a generation of the you owe me, and we are entitled. Everything should be done in moderation. Television is not going to make your child ignorant, but it make make their attention span shorter and more violent.  The less they watch the less likely this is to happen.

What really amazes me is how much people defend their television, we do all realize that television is not actually neccessary to kids right.  A child can go thier whole life without watching it and still be perfectly intelligent, functioning adults in society.

[yayi242004]

Quoting bakebiscotti:

Just another study designed to make moms feel guilty

i agree with you on this one....and it makes me feel guilty..but i think i have well rounded children..By the age of 21/2 my oldest knew his alphabet, he recognizes them and know the sound they make..So i cant be doing that bad....In my house the TV is always on as a background...on cartoons and educational shows.  My kids play...and stop every once in a while to watch.....I have noticed that they initiate more play when the TV is on....i guess they dont like quiet.