Sometimes a TV is Just a TV (continued)

What happens between the programs can also have a big impact. The marketing of toys and products has reached a new and disturbing level of sophistication and there are more of them then ever. Keep in mind many young children don’t have the frame of reference to adequately discern a lot of what they see on television. Older kids can infer that certain actions can cause a reaction, but for a toddler who hasn’t learned about cause and effect from experience won’t get the connection when a character leaves the screen or suddenly appears in a new setting. Many can't even tell the difference between a commercial and a show.

That’s not to say that if you park the tot in front of the TV to answer the phone or attend quickly to something else, you’ve damaged your child for life. Anyone who claims never to have used TV as a distraction for their child in a busy household is either delusional or dishonest. 

TV is actually a wonderful tool when used age-appropriately and within limits. On average, a great deal of thought and research goes into many of today’s offerings for kids and meet far higher standards than shows appearing just a decade ago. Yet despite all of the advances, parents will always trump television and technology as the most important influence on their kids—even without magical powers, square pants or blue spots. If there’s any doubt whether or not your child is old enough to watch TV, it’s best to stick to yet another tried-and-true rule of parenting: If they aren’t old enough to ask for it, you don’t have to give it to them.

About the Author

A freelance writer and TV Critic for Daily Variety, Laura Fries has been writing about TV and film entertainment for more than eighteen years. She lives with her husband, daughter and a small menagerie of pets in Alexandria, Virginia.

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