Harmful Effects of Too Much Television for Children

Today more and more parents are becoming dependant on the television to babysit their children or keep them entertained so that they may have a break, not have to deal with them, or get stuff done around the house. This can lead to negative adverse effects in your child. The Department of Education stated that children living in the United States watch an average of three to five hours of television each day as stated in an article published by the University of Maine on how television can affect children. Statistics also indicate that the average American child views 12,000 violent displays on a television each year.

Violence has been linked to television on more than one occasion. Children are imitators of others as they are growing and learning, children who view violent shows while their brain is still developing as they grow tend to display much more aggressive behavior. Poor school performance and grades also are linked to too much television. Those who have the television on while they are trying to do homework seem to have a much harder time doing it efficiently and as quick and well as they could do without it on. Limiting the amount of television your child watches and what they watch could increase their grades in school as well as several other areas. Social skills are important to develop for a child, for having friends and easily making friends can increase their self esteem as well as help them in the business world later in life.

Obesity is highly linked to too much television viewing as a child, when your child becomes a couch potato it can and should be a concern. Children are not engaging in as much physical activities as they used too to develop their brains and bodies as they should be. Having sexual activity too soon can be encouraged by viewing the mass amount of sex appeal as well as the amount of premarital sex on television today. The sexual hints and references even on commercials in between your children's shows can make them feel bad about their bodies at a young age. The amount of drug use and references on television is also out of control, encouraging children to believe that drugs are cool.

Allowing a television in a child's room is one of the worst things a parent can do without even realizing it. It makes it harder to monitor what they are watching as well as how much they are watching. One third of children from age two to seven and two thirds of children age eight and up all have televisions in their bedrooms. Sleep problems as well as school problems have been linked to having a television in the child's bedroom. Having the television turned off when parents are not around, the child is doing homework, and during meals can be very helpful in several areas.

It can have a negative long term effect to use the television as a reward or having it taken away as a punishment, as so many parents do, making the object seem much more important than it really is. Reading to your children is key. Reading can be extremely helpful in many areas in the child's life and encourage them to do better in school as well. Encouraging active recreation can help get them away from the television and develop their social skills, athletic skills, and help prevent obesity.

Babies and toddlers have also been subjected to too much early on-set television. Interactive activities with your little one such as talking, playing, singing, reading, and even cuddling together can promote healthy brain development and help you bond with your child on a higher level. Set limits to how much television your child is viewing, participate in television viewing with them, monitor the shows to make sure they are age appropriate for your child, and lead by example. If your child sees you sitting in front of the television all day as a gaining weight couch potato, they will most likely mirror that. If your child sees you out and doing activities or reading they will lean more towards that. It is all in the parents hands.

Cited Source: http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4100.html