{"id":135,"date":"2015-08-20T13:30:10","date_gmt":"2015-08-20T13:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sunshine.org.za\/blog\/?p=135"},"modified":"2015-08-20T14:31:53","modified_gmt":"2015-08-20T14:31:53","slug":"tv-is-too-much-really-that-bad-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunshine.org.za\/blog\/tv-is-too-much-really-that-bad-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"TV: Is too much really that bad for kids?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s world it\u2019s pretty hard to escape TV, especially if you\u2019re a child. It\u2019s often left on in the background, even if no one is watching, and many parents use it as a substitute babysitter. It\u2019s even harder to avoid TV during holidays when parents are at work. With so much TV being watched, we look at the good and bad effects that it has on children, and possible solutions.<\/p>\n

Firstly, how much TV do kids actually watch? According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 66% of infants and toddlers spend about 2 hours a day watching a screen, while children under 6 spend about 2 hours a day watching TV and videos. When it comes to children and teenagers, they reportedly spend almost 4 hours watching TV every day and an extra 2 hours playing video games.<\/p>\n

THE GOOD<\/strong><\/p>\n

TV \u2013 in moderation \u2013 can actually be good. It can be an educator by teaching pre-schoolers numbers, letters, colours and shapes, as well as teaching them about feelings, problem solving, being curious and the difference between right and wrong. Older children learn about wildlife through nature programmes, history channels teach them about the past, science programmes show them how things are made, and cooking channels teach kids about food and healthy eating.<\/p>\n

THE BAD<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first 2 years of a child\u2019s life are critical for brain development and the stimuli they get will influence this development. TV is an unnatural stimuli and the images behave in a different way to real life. The screen is flat (not 3D), images move too quickly and it is not interactive. Researchers suggests that TV will negatively impact a child\u2019s language development, their hearing, vision, reading skills and attention. For these reasons the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 not watch any TV. The best way for babies to learn is by exploring, playing and interacting with people and their environment.<\/p>\n

The situation is different for children who are older than 2, although too much TV can interfere with activities like reading, playing with friends, doing homework, being active and spending time with family. It\u2019s recommended that children older than 2 watch less than 2 hours of quality TV a day.<\/p>\n

THE EFFECTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to research, too much screen time (including TV, video games, cellphone, and tablets) has been linked to various problems in children, such as:<\/p>\n