Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Originally posted by: Xavier434
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
I heard an interview on the radio with this author/researcher
http://www.amazon.com/Elephant...levision/dp/1594862761
Every hour of daily TV watching increases chance of ADD by 10%
They found that shows like Sesame Street have no negative effect though, but children learn language and develop their brains MUCH better from live interaction with adults.
Also, don't forget that nutrition is extremely important for brain development
I don't believe that at all. TV is just like everything else. Moderation and balance is key.
You can say moderation is the key and that sounds wonderful, but we need to recognize that a child's brain is a very fragile thing, and everything affects development. Moderate may very well be 1 hour a day. Or 1 hour a week. It's not an arbitrary amount that sounds acceptable to an adult.
The real problem is that cartoons and other fast paced shows reduce the child's attention span.
Well, you touched upon the million dollar question which all parents need to ask and ask often when it comes to raising their children. That is, how much is too much and why?
The answer is that it differs per child. I am not going to argue that "too much" TV with no educational content is ok for the child. Nor will I argue that just about anything involving interaction is generally better. However, to state that on average each hour of daily television involving non educational content will increase the chances of ADD by 10% sounds absurd. A child's mind is very different from an adult's mind but it is also very similar. Children need to rest their brains while they are awake too and participating in activities which do not require their attention spans as much provide them with just that. As long as the TV or other "mindless" activity is coupled with a variety interactive activities throughout the day then it shouldn't be an issue. My kid does that and he is turning out just fine. In fact, he is excelling beyond his other classmates at daycare by quite a bit according to his teacher and I believe her based on the progression I have seen. I'm not trying to gloat by saying that. Rather, I am trying to point out that there are many ways to skin cat and non educational TV is not always pure evil when it comes to development at a young age despite popular belief.
That doesn't mean parents should dismiss the possibility though. We need to be observant understanding that such a thing as "too much" does exist.
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