TV for Babies: Is it Good or Bad?
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This is only the second study to track the relationship between television and cognitive development in infants over a period of time. The first one, conducted by Dr. Dimitri Christakis at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, found that DVD viewing actually hindered a toddler’s ability to properly learn vocabulary, with infants who spent an additional hour in front of a television learning six-eight fewer vocabulary words than infants who were not in front of a television.
Time.com reports:
“We don’t have any definitive answers yet as to what effects TV viewing can have on infants with respect to cognitive outcomes,” says Christakis. “But here is what we do know — there is absolutely no benefit to this viewing despite claims that continue to be made by commercial products.”
While Schmidt’s study found no benefit, it ultimately found no negative effect of watching TV. The researcher offers a few reasons why: for one, the children in her study reported less time viewing TV and DVDs than previous surveys of the same aged population; it’s possible that the current study group did not meet the threshold dose of TV exposure that triggered the negative effects found in Christakis’s research. Schmidt’s study also stopped following the toddlers at age 3; she acknowledges that some cognitive changes may not occur until children are a few years older.
TV exposure in babies younger than 2 doesn’t do any good, Schmidt and Christakis agree. But does that mean a few minutes in front of the tube will sentence a baby to remedial classes for the rest of his life? “What I tell parents is ‘Ask yourself why you’re having your baby watch TV,’” says Christakis. “If you absolutely need a break to take a shower or make dinner, then the risks are quite low. But if you are doing it because you think it’s actually good for your child’s brain, then you need to rethink that because there is no evidence of benefit, and certainly a risk of harm at high viewing levels.”
How much television time does your baby get? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
To read the full Time.com article, click here
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Comment by Marni-Resident Mom on Mar 03 2009 01:19:14:
We are very selective about TV time for our son. He is 8 months and 3 weeks old. He watches Sesame Street mostly during Elmo’s World. I also DVR Little Einsteins for him to watch from time to time. Periodically we put in a Disney DVD too. Once in awhile, he is up early enough to see us watch a minute or two of the Weather Channel for weather info and Sports Center on ESPN.
That is really all the TV or DVD time that he has. Most of the time the TV stays off and we focus on playing with his toys or interactive play like paddy cake, peekabo, Hokey Pokey, etc. We talk to him all the time and tell him what we are doing. Even changing his diaper is participitary. My husband and I will ask if he left ___(whichever Sesame Street Character is on the diaper) a present. Then we tell him we’re going to look and he laughs and laughs.
I don’t think TV is the issue or movies or DVDs. I think parents need to talk to their kids. Talking with them and not at them makes a huge difference as to whether the TV time will be an issue.
Comment by Anne on Mar 23 2009 07:53:12:
I was one of those moms-to-be who swore her little darling wasn’t going to watch a lick of TV until he was 2 years old and then only in small doses. Well, that would require Mom and Dad to not watch any TV. While we do try to interact with our 3 1/2 month old son while the TV is on and not just use it as a babysitter, he sometimes is just mesmerized by the “magic talking box.” Even something as “boring” as the evening news fascinates him.
This past weekend, we took a trip to visit my parents. DS was sitting on Nana’s lap and couldn’t have cared less that she was talking to him and playing with him. He just wanted to watch “Band of Brothers” that Pop-pop was watching. Not the most child-friendly show, I’ll admit, but telling my dad to turn off the TV just wouldn’t fly.
We’re also guilty of purposely encouraging DS to watch Baby Signing Time (which he loves). We sign (and sing) along with the DVD and move his hands to help him make the sign. Since there’s evidence that children who learn sign language have better language skills later on, does that undo the harmfulness in allowing him to watch the Signing Time DVDs? I swear he is starting to recognize some of the signs. When he gets fussy around the time he normally eats, we sign “milk” and ask him if he wants some milk. Several times now he’s stopped fussing and settled down to watch us prepare his bottle.