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| Watching TV |
TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer. It can be entertaining and educational. Shows can have a positive effect on kids' behavior; programs with positive role models can influence viewers to make positive lifestyle changes. However, the reverse can also be true: Kids are likely to learn things from TV that parents don't want them to learn. TV can affect kids' health, behavior and family life in negative ways. It can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.
CONS OF TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME :
• Obesity. The more TV your child watches, the greater his or her risk is of becoming overweight as they are inactive and tend to snack.
• Irregular sleep. Television viewing is associated with altered sleep patterns and sleep disorders among children and adolescents.
• Behavioral problems. Elementary students who spend more than two hours a day watching TV or using a computer are more likely to have emotional, social and attention problems. Exposure to video games is also linked with an increased risk of attention problems in children.
• Commercials
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- TV is full of programs and commercials that depict risky behaviors (such as drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes) as cool, fun, and exciting. And often, there's no discussion about the consequences of those actions.
- Alcohol ads on TV have actually increased over the last few years and more underage kids are being exposed to them than ever.
- And although they've banned cigarette ads on television, kids and teens can still see plenty of people smoking on programs and movies airing on TV.
• Impaired academic performance. Elementary students who have TVs in their bedrooms tend to perform worse in tests.
• Violence. Too much exposure to violence through media — especially on TV — can desensitize children to violence. As a result, children might learn to accept violent behavior as a normal way to solve problems.TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.
• Children may attempt to mimic stunts seen on TV: Watching unsafe behavior on TV may increase children's risk-taking behavior. Kids may get injured trying to repeat dangerous stunts they see on television shows.
• Spending time watching TV can take time away from healthy activities like active play outside with friends, eating dinner together as a family, or reading. TV time also takes away from participating in sports, music, art or other activities that require practice to become skillful.
• Kids get lots of information about sexuality from television. Most parents don't talk to their kids about sex and relationships, birth control and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Most schools do not offer complete sex education programs. So kids get much of their information about sex from TV.Sexual content is a real presence on TV. Soap operas, music videos, prime time shows and advertisements all contain lots of sexual content, but usually nothing about contraception or safer sex.
LIMITING YOUR CHILD'S SCREEN TIME :
Are you concerned about how much time your child spends watching TV or movies, playing with a smartphone or computer, or enjoying video games?
Although some screen time can be educational, it's easy to go overboard. Consider this guide to children and TV, including what you can do to keep your child's screen time in check.
It can be difficult to start limiting your child's screen time. It's worth the effort, however. By creating new household rules and steadily making small changes in your child's routine, you can curb screen time and its effects.
• Keep TVs and computers out of the bedroom. Children who have TVs in their bedrooms watch more TV than children who don't have TVs in their bedrooms. You should monitor your child's screen time and the websites he or she is visiting by keeping TVs and computers in a common area in your house.
• Don't eat in front of the TV. Allowing your child to eat or snack in front of the TV increases his or her screen time. The habit also encourages mindless munching, which can lead to weight gain.
• Set school day rules. Most children have limited free time during the school week. Don't let your child spend all of it in front of a screen.
• Talk to your child's caregivers. Encourage other adults in your child's life to limit your child's screen time, too.
• Suggest other activities. Rather than relying on screen time for entertainment, help your child find other things to do, such as reading, playing a sport, helping with cooking or trying a board game.
• Don't allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
• Treat TV as a privilege to be earned — not a right. Establish some rules for watching TV, such as allowing TV only after their homework gets completed.
• Offer fun alternatives to television. If your kids wants to watch TV while you want to turn off the tube, suggest them that you all play a game together, start a game of hide and seek, read, pursue crafts or hobbies, or listen to music. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless — so turn off the TV and enjoy the quality time together.
BECOME AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
When your child has screen time, make it as engaging as possible:
• Plan what your child views. Consider using parental control settings on your TV and computers. You can also choose some quality programs for them to be watched.
• Watch with your child. Whenever possible, watch programs together — and discuss the issues you see such as family values, violence or drug abuse. If you watch a junk food ad, explain that just because it's on TV doesn't mean it's good for you.
PROS OF WATCHING TV:
It’s Not All Bad!
Since television is definitely here to stay, parents need to look at it as a resource and not necessarily as a menace.
• Studies have indicated that television does increase the general vocabulary of children.
• Television can increase a child’s range of interest since it exposes him to a variety of activities and topics he might not otherwise encounter such as archeology, science of all kinds, architecture, music, etc.
• Violence. Too much exposure to violence through media — especially on TV — can desensitize children to violence. As a result, children might learn to accept violent behavior as a normal way to solve problems.TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.
• Children may attempt to mimic stunts seen on TV: Watching unsafe behavior on TV may increase children's risk-taking behavior. Kids may get injured trying to repeat dangerous stunts they see on television shows.
• Spending time watching TV can take time away from healthy activities like active play outside with friends, eating dinner together as a family, or reading. TV time also takes away from participating in sports, music, art or other activities that require practice to become skillful.
• Kids get lots of information about sexuality from television. Most parents don't talk to their kids about sex and relationships, birth control and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Most schools do not offer complete sex education programs. So kids get much of their information about sex from TV.Sexual content is a real presence on TV. Soap operas, music videos, prime time shows and advertisements all contain lots of sexual content, but usually nothing about contraception or safer sex.
LIMITING YOUR CHILD'S SCREEN TIME :
Are you concerned about how much time your child spends watching TV or movies, playing with a smartphone or computer, or enjoying video games?
Although some screen time can be educational, it's easy to go overboard. Consider this guide to children and TV, including what you can do to keep your child's screen time in check.
It can be difficult to start limiting your child's screen time. It's worth the effort, however. By creating new household rules and steadily making small changes in your child's routine, you can curb screen time and its effects.
• Keep TVs and computers out of the bedroom. Children who have TVs in their bedrooms watch more TV than children who don't have TVs in their bedrooms. You should monitor your child's screen time and the websites he or she is visiting by keeping TVs and computers in a common area in your house.
• Don't eat in front of the TV. Allowing your child to eat or snack in front of the TV increases his or her screen time. The habit also encourages mindless munching, which can lead to weight gain.
• Set school day rules. Most children have limited free time during the school week. Don't let your child spend all of it in front of a screen.
• Talk to your child's caregivers. Encourage other adults in your child's life to limit your child's screen time, too.
• Suggest other activities. Rather than relying on screen time for entertainment, help your child find other things to do, such as reading, playing a sport, helping with cooking or trying a board game.
• Don't allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
• Treat TV as a privilege to be earned — not a right. Establish some rules for watching TV, such as allowing TV only after their homework gets completed.
• Offer fun alternatives to television. If your kids wants to watch TV while you want to turn off the tube, suggest them that you all play a game together, start a game of hide and seek, read, pursue crafts or hobbies, or listen to music. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless — so turn off the TV and enjoy the quality time together.
BECOME AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT
When your child has screen time, make it as engaging as possible:
• Plan what your child views. Consider using parental control settings on your TV and computers. You can also choose some quality programs for them to be watched.
• Watch with your child. Whenever possible, watch programs together — and discuss the issues you see such as family values, violence or drug abuse. If you watch a junk food ad, explain that just because it's on TV doesn't mean it's good for you.
PROS OF WATCHING TV:
It’s Not All Bad!
Since television is definitely here to stay, parents need to look at it as a resource and not necessarily as a menace.
• Studies have indicated that television does increase the general vocabulary of children.
• Television can increase a child’s range of interest since it exposes him to a variety of activities and topics he might not otherwise encounter such as archeology, science of all kinds, architecture, music, etc.
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