Last week a policy announcement from the American Academy of Pediatrics provided some new ways to think about language development in young children. The AAP's policy is now harmonized with policies of the Canadian Pediatric Society ( which were reaffirmed in February 2011).
According to both medical groups, even a little TV is too much for toddlers. One member of the AAP committee which recently reviewed the media guidelines stated, "Television for toddlers is not beneficial or educational and may cause children some harm." The research suggests too much television stunts children's language and cognitive development, and can lead to shorter attention spans.
Interesting points are raised in the report including issues with simply having a TV on in the background. Even when no one is really watching, having the TV on apparently "almost eliminates parent-child interaction." The AAP recommended that any television left on in the background should be turned off. The full report also speaks about the issues related to toddlers' and young children's viewing of programs intended for adult audiences.
At Ready 4 Learning, we see another way to frame the the problem of young children watching TV - just think about all the important things they are not doing while they are watching TV:
- They are are not talking and interacting with others, and “talk time” is critical for young children to learn language;
- They are not engaged in play and exercise activities which promote healthy physical development;
- They are not using their hands in the many kinds of play that develop fine motor skills;
- They are not engaged in plain old unstructured playtime which is known to be critical to learning problem-solving skills and fostering creativity.
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