Television and Young Children

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The following list of television guidelines may seem drastic and unrealistic, but television has a powerful impact on children, so drastic measures to counteract it are called for.

1. Don’t expose infants to television. Don’t use television as entertainment, and don’t get in the habit of using it as a babysitter, no matter how tempting it is to do so. Infants are distracted by the disconnected noise and movement of television. They don’t need distractions; they need personal interactions with people and objects in the real world. With the 24-hour television channel just for infants, it may seem as if some research says that television is educational for babies. There is no such research!
2. Examine your own television habits. If you are addicted to the tube, the chances are any children around you while you are watching will also become addicted. Deal with your own addiction and take precautions so that children don’t become TV addicts.
3. One way to avoid the risk of addiction in children is to avoid exposing them to television altogether. Children grow up just fine with no TV. If you decide you want children exposed, do it with caution and awareness. Don’t turn the TV on and flip channels. Using a TV guide, make a conscious decision about what program to watch, turn the set on to watch it, and then turn it off when it is over.
4. Sit with children while they watch television. Then you are there to handle feelings, explain what needs explaining, clarify any confusion, and clear up misconceptions. You are also there to turn off the set when the program is over.
5. Whatever you do, don’t let children fill their time with television. Active play should be the major pastime of the early years, not uninvolved visual entertainment.

These guidelines have been used by adults with good success. If you grew up with TV in your life and have never been without it, consider trying two weeks without TV; you’ll find it makes a positive difference in your life, once you get over your withdrawal symptoms. Getting loose from the clutches of the tube will also make a positive difference in young children’s lives.

Using these guidelines, educators could set up meetings with parents to discuss television and its effects on children. Some of the parents might be interested in trying the two weeks without TV approach. Some parents probably have already made wise decisions about their children’s television viewing, and these parents can be important parts of this discussion.