TV Watching Is Bad for Babies’ Brains

Babies who watch TV are more likely to have delayed cognitive development and language at 14 months, especially if they’re watching programs intended for adults and older children, a research has confirmed. We probably knew that 24 and Grey’s Anatomy don’t really qualify as educational content, but it’s surprising that TV-watching made a difference at such a tender age.

According to the research, babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had developmental scores one-third lower at 14 months than babies who weren’t watching that much TV. Though their developmental scores were still in the normal range, the discrepancy may be due to the fact that when kids and parents are watching TV, they’re missing out on talking, playing, and interactions that are essential to learning and development.

Though the study followed 259 lower-income families, other studies examining higher-income families have also come to the same conclusion: TV watching not only isn’t educational, but it seems to stunt babies’ development.

But what about “good” TV, like The Hostel? The researchers didn’t find any pluses or minuses when compared to non-educational programs designed for small children, like cartoons. Parents whose children watch non-educational TV programs spend less time talking to their children or teaching them.

At this point, parents reading this are probably saying Wapi! TV is so often a parent’s good friend, keeping kids happily occupied so the grownups can cook supper, go shopping at the nearest kiosk, or take a shower. But clearly that electronic babysitter is not an educational aid.

The bottom line: babies under age 2 watch no TV at all. If you’ve just got to watch ‘Agataliiko Nfuufu,’ it’s best to make sure the tots are fast asleep.

Posted by Admin on July 23, 2011. Filed under HEALTH. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.