We barely watch any TV at home. We don't subscribe to cable or satellite TV service so we can only watch what's available via a pair of very outdated rabbit ears. I'm not going to say we never watch TV, because that would be a lie, but we usually only let the kids watch a couple of children's programs on PBS in the morning sometimes. While I'm aware of the pitfalls of letting small children watch to much TV, I also think there's very little quality programing both for children and adults out there. I know a lot of parents feel the same way and they restrict the amount of screen time their kids get, but I also know a lot others who leave the TV on even when no one is really watching.
Well, it turns out that background TV exposure is not without its negative effects. And you won't believe how much of that our kids are getting daily.
Researchers have found, according to an online article published today in the journal Pediatrics, that the average American child is exposed to just under four hours of background television on a daily basis. Sadly, the number of hours goes up depending on socio-economic background, race and single vs. two-parent homes.
The study also found that the younger the child, the more likely there is to be background TV exposure, which really comes as no surprise since not being able to interact with a baby makes for a pretty quiet and boring home in the view of many parents. But what they probably didn't know is that exposure to television even if they're not watching it directly can negatively effect their children by causing such problems as lowering sustained attention when they're playing, weakening parent-child relatioships, and reducing performance when it comes to cognitive tasks.
Read more in ¿Qué más?: What kind of dad does this?
So, if you've been happy with the amount of time your child spends in front of the television, but haven't really paid too much attention to the effect leaving on can have on him, the time has come for you to reconsider. My suggestion? Just turn off the annoying thing and put on some danceable music… As far as I know, too much exposure to that never hurt anyone!
Image via wonderlane/flickr
