Do you agree with the American Academy of Pediatrics, who has banned tv viewing for any child under age 5?

Question

The research shows that the "flicker" from the tv screen attracts and holds the child's attention. The problem is that the flicker keeps shifting, and exposure to this tv flicker over time has been shown, according to research, to reduce a child's attention span. This has dire consequences when the child goes to school, because when the teacher is giving instruction, she is not going to be flickering or moving constantly and changing to a new scene and thus holding the child's attention as well as a tv. TV viewing has been linked to shortening the attention span of a young, under age 5 child, so that child is less ready to learn in a classroom later.

Answer 1

I think it is hooey.  I was raised on tv and never had any problem focusing in school.  I think it changes the way we learn.  The last 20 years has seen a rise in visual learners, which one could attribute to the rise in television viewing.  My son watches television and has learned more than his peers.  It is the quality of the program that matters.  This study, as far as i know, has never said what shows the children were viewing.  Some of the teen cartoons are hard on the eyes but it is not just kids programming.  An ad for the Olympics has been pulled because it may cause epileptic seizures.

Answer 2

i`m a pre school teacher myself and i absolutely agree with this new rule. besides the reason given there are other very disturbing effects of watching tv in young children.being a montessori teacher and according to my understanding children are also in that stage at ages below 5 when they are understanding this world like a traveler tries to understand a new country. TV would be the last thing a child needs to learn from since its far from real and stops other social and intellectual development in children.

Answer 3

I am very interested in your question about watching TV, I am sure the AAof P are absolutely right.  Not only with children, but with adults too. I gave up watching TV two years ago, and the difference in my life if amazing.  The most amazing was that my eyesight got stronger.  I don't wear glasses but at night, it was getting harder to read small prints.  3 months without a TV and my eyes became stronger. The next big change was less eating/drinking/spending.  The body and mind learns to re-acclimatize and excess food/drink/clutter has no place. All my friends say they do selective TV watching and that they could give up their TV tomorrow, but none have, even when they admit there is more nonsense on the box than anything else.

Children follow adults,  if parents are watching TV, it follows that the children will watch too, perhaps the AAofP should issue a warning that TV watching for adult can be damaging too.  

I gave this question a star, it really needs to be discussed.

Answer 4

http://www.tvturnoff.org/factsheets.htm

just one site to give more info. I as a teacher can pick off the 'media junkies' in my class by the end of the second week of school. By late in the year, these kids have poor peer relationships, and complain of being 'bored' in class. or, that I am boring. and the parent even asks me how I can 'liven up' in class to prevent such boredom in their child. sorry mom and dad, but Johnny and Suzy are 'bored' because I don't bounce around and change the subject every couple of minutes like in TV or videos.  the link below is from a recent news article highlighting the negative effects of TV on adults. I tried a google search, but I could only find a link to a Christian website that carried the article. I don't remember what national paper carried the article, but this link pretty much covers the story. so, here you have it. Excessive TV even affects adults,

Answer 5

Yes, yes, yes, and absolutely yes.

Answer 6

My 4 yr old watches TV and has learned a lot from the learning channels like days of the week, Spanish, and even some alphabet; However.....

Though I don't necessarily believe that TV should be completely banned -  I do believe that there is some truth to this.  It is a matter of moderation.   Like everything in life (for the most part) it is all about moderation.

Answer 7

I think that this does make sense, i think that small children should not be watching just plain tv. WQED or something with no commercials and good wholesome shows is ok, as are video shows, like dora the explorer, barney, baby einstein, ect.

Answer 8

I dont agree with this as 5  year old granddaughter would watch nicklodeon all day and then when she went to preschool she was more interested in the learning than in play. Where her brother was more for play and now has a hard time in school.

Answer 9

yes.

Also you do not form a norm for TV.  You must watch TV with your kiddies to monitor what they see.  You should not let them see shows with Ads cut through them.  And monitor product placement.  Why pollute your kids mind with corporate trash.  While not banning TV for my kids , they were not put in front of it for the sake of occupying their time..  They watched very little, 0.5 - 1 hour every 2 - 3  days.  

At 9 and 11 now, they rarely watch tv, and have no desire to sit through a full show.  If you must let them watch something, use video tapes of kiddy shows, so you don't need to censor.  Also they get to reinforce concepts taught in an educational show(s).

Answer 10

well...it does make sense...my little brother wont pay attention to anything or eat or do anything else if the TV is on...he just has to stare at it...he almost failed kindergarten becuase he watches tv all th etime...i really don't like tv much becuase of this reason adn others...i used to watch it all the time and it made me nearsighted....anyways....u asked for comments..there  it is

Answer 11

Yes

There is enormous evidence that TV is not good. There are also a lot of myths ie TV helps with speech - no it doesn't.

In the scheme of human existence TV is relatively new we are only just beginning to realize the effect it has on people and society.

Answer 12

Yes, and my dad would stand up and cheer, "Yes".

Answer 13

I understand that but I don't think it is completely right. Kids, especially ones with older siblings, should be able to have the same interactions as any other person.

Answer 14

I agree with them, but I monitor my childrens viewing and make sure they have a variety of experiences throughout the day.  They watch more than I would like sometimes, but many times they are tuning in and out while playing at other things...something they'd be doing regardless.  Attention spans ARE short in young kids.

Answer 15

Well, I only let my child watch one channel. And it's called Noggin. There are no commercials and it's specifically for preschoolers. She learned a lot from it, such as numbers and animals. The shows are Dora, Diego, Blue's Clues and more.