TV and Your Child

Next to the family, television (TV) has the greatest social impact on the child. The average two to eleven year old watches about 25 hours of TV per week. As a parent you may know that TV has both good and not so good effects on your child. It is not always clear how to help children to use TV in a positive, creative way and protect them from the negative effects. As health care providers we recognize the impact TV has on a variety of health-related behaviors. We feel it is important to provide you with the tools you need to "Take Control" of the TV your child watches. You know your child best and will need to decide what works best for you. Please feel free to discuss any issues or problems related to TV with you healthcare provider.

TV Facts

Today's children spend more time watching TV (15,000 hours) than they do in school (11,000 hours). During an average year, American children are exposed to:

• More than 14,000 sexual references and jokes, yet less than 175 will deal with self-control behaviors
• Between 1,000 and 2,000 beer and wine commercials
• More than 1,000 murders, rapes, assaults, and armed robberies, and
• Nearly 20,000 commercials

Effects of TV Viewing

Good

Age appropriate TV can teach children good behaviors and thinking skills. Appropriate viewing can promote:

• Imaginary Skills - TV teaches children how to develop and use their imagination
• Role Playing - Children try to act like adults and are more likely to copy those actions that are rewarded. Notice what behaviors are rewarded on TV
• Family Values - Children can learn about family values through TV viewing
• Clock Skills - The timing of shows helps to teach the concept of time
• Thinking Skills - Children can learn letters, numbers, shapes and colors through TV viewing
• Decision Making - Asking children to help set TV viewing rules that allow them to make choices and develop good habits
• Good Behaviors - TV can be used as a reward for other good behaviors

Not so Good

TV is not selective in what it teaches children. Along with positive effects, it can give unhealthy, false or negative messages. Too much or inappropriate viewing can have the following effects:

• Reality Check - Young children cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality. Children may use TV to tune out others or escape from the real world
• The Quick Fix - TV often gives false views of quick answers and rapid rewards.
• Violence - Children (particularly boys) who watch TV violence are more likely to imitate more aggressive acts, become less sensitive to pain and suffering of others, and may become fearful of the world around them. Children become used to repetitive violent acts seen on TV. Weapons are often shown as attractive; guilt and remorse are sparse or absent
• Sexuality - TV may present the young child with mature content. Moral values shown on TV may differ from your personal beliefs. Sex is used to sell products, shows and ideas. TV often oversells patterns of personal gratification and under tells the risks of such behaviors. Soap operas and music videos have been identified as the worst offenders.
• Stereotypes - TV may present roles based on race, gender, age and physical beauty. Values of youth and physical attractiveness develop based on these biases.
• Lifestyle Habits - For the younger child the TV too often becomes the babysitter. TV promotes inactivity which brings an increased risk for obesity. In addition, TV promotes unhealthy behaviors such as risk taking, eating junk food, smoking, and alcohol use. Too much viewing leaves the child with little time for other activities which nurture development and creativity.
• Commercialism - The child is a huge target for a multimedia blitz. The young child may not be able to tell the difference between commercials and regular shows. Some full-length shows are no more than a sales pitch for toys and food items.
• Programming - Special tactics including volume changes, intense plots, suspense, loud music and rapid-fire commercials are used to grab the child's attention and hold it.

General Guidelines for Parents

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting TV viewing to 1-2 hours per day
• Help your child make a weekly calendar and decide what shows to watch in advance
• Watch TV with your children and discuss what you watch with them
• Read about TV production with your child or visit a TV studio. This can take some of the glamour out of TV.
• Encourage watching high-quality programs and talk to your child about why
• Find constructive alternatives to watching TV
• Express your views about TV programming to local TV stations and national networks

More TV Facts

• Studies have consistently documented that more than one to two hours of TV viewing a day has a negative effect on school performance, especially reading scores
• While the level of violence on prime-time TV is about five violent acts per hours, the level of violence on children's Saturday morning shows is about 32 violent acts per hour
• Junk foods such as sugared breakfast cereals, candy bars, cakes, cookies, chips, fast food and soda pop are the foods most often advertised on children's TV. Children watching TV are more likely to eat increased amounts of these foods
• Toy makers make about $40 million a year by selling their products to children who are unable to understand the intent of the commercials and believe the claims are real

What You Can Do Take Control

• Make family rules about TV and stick to them. Start with your rules, but allow the child to help make the rules over time
• Set limits on TV viewing time (hours per day and when the TV should be off)
• Select TV shows ahead of time with your child
• Beware of using TV as a baby-sitter. IF you need to use TV as a baby-sitter (we all need a break sometime), choose a video or program for your child as carefully as you would choose a sitter
• Use a TV guide instead of flipping through channels with a remote control
• Keep TV out of your child's room
• Turn TV off during mealtime and while doing other things
• Schedule TV time around your schedule
• Be a role model for your child. You may need to look at your own viewing habits
• Special devices can be bought which lock out or preset programs, channels and times for TV viewing
• Watch TV with your child
• Help your child separate what is real and what is not real on TV
• Do not allow your child to watch programs you strongly oppose and talk to your child about why
• If you are watching something violent ask your child to think of other ways to solve problems without hurting someone or something. Talk about why nonviolence is important to you
• Watch cartoons carefully and talk with your child about how real life is different
• Watch commercials with your child. Help them to identify what is being sold and how
• Ask your child to compare what is seen on TV with people, places an events they have seen or learned about in school
• When you see junk food commercials on TV, talk to your child about good eating habits and good food choices

20 Things To Do

1. Puzzles
2. Play board or card games
3. Draw or paint
4. Start a new hobby
5. Write a letter
6. Have a family night
7. Watch videotapes instead of regular TV
8. Exercise - Go for a walk, swim, play ball, bike, etc.
9. Collect something
10. Visit the library, museums, mall or other points of interest
11. Play a musical instrument
12. Read
13. Cook something
14. Play educational computer games
15. Role play
16. Join a club or activity group
17. Cut pictures from old magazines
18. Plant a garden
19. Make something with clay
20. Listen to music, sing and dance