 Is
TV bad for your kids?
Now there's a 24-hour television channel for children the 'Is
TV bad for your kids' debate rages. We take a look at TV and ask if a
dedicated children's channel is a safer alternative to what is currently
available. Dr Sigman, respected psychologist and broadcaster, argues that
it's not the content of the programmes that's to blame
but the activity of watching TV. Here he explains to babyworld
why he believes that television for toddlers is such a bad idea.
STOP PRESS.......American psychologist Dr Aric Sigman has hit
the headlines again recently when he called for a complete ban on television
for children under the age of three.
We asked child and educational psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson
for his reaction to Sigman's concern's - he
argues the case for everything in moderation here...
We couldn't forget our devoted members either, who say whether they will
be turning off the box in light of the findings.
24-hour telly
Many prospective parents vow that they will never let their babies near
a television screen until they are at least out of nappies and into books
in a major way. An admirable stance, yet it is one that is likely to change
as sleepless nights, toddler tantrums and the absolute necessity for five
minutes' peace kick in.
Many companies and television channels have tapped into this parental
need, for it is arguably more essential to us than to our children! The
existence of children-only channels, such as Cbeebies and CBBC, ensures
that kids have their own entertainment during daylight hours. And, what's
more, many of the programmes aimed at the very young audience have been
designed and written by educationists, which no doubt assuages our minds
about the suitability of what our children are watching.
The latest contender is Baby TV, a 24-hour, commercial-free channel
on NTL (channels 69 and 615). Launched by TV presenter and mother Emma
Forbes, the channel claims to "reshape the way children and parents view
and use television". Developed in conjunction with child psychologists
and infant development experts, the channel says it will deliver programming
specifically designed for infants and toddlers under the age of three.
Chartered psychologist, Dr Cynthia McVey, supported the launch of the
channel, saying, "Baby TV is a unique new concept, which is designed to
promote learning and development and actively encourages essential parent
and child interaction. It aims to complement joint play and assist the
parenting process. The popularity of children's television in the past
decade has been much debated and is often at the receiving end of negative
comments, but that's largely down to inappropriate content and prolonged
viewing. "Baby TV is a safe alternative to what is currently available
and delivers only suitable, specifically designed programmes aimed at
the needs and abilities of its young viewers."
During the day, Baby TV will feature programmes that will encourage
activity and introduce children to music, colours, nature and familiar
objects. 'Baby Art' helps children discover art and follows the creation
of a drawing from start to finish, while 'Baby Giants' is a magical series
following a baby's exciting adventure with one of his mobile animal toys.
At night, the channel changes into soft music accompanied by images of
gently moving colours and objects that create a soothing and secure atmosphere
in the home.
Meet the real Teletubbies
Yet is having 24-hour television for babies and toddlers such a good
idea? Whether the content is educational or not, it encourages them to
spend increasing amounts of time being sedentary. According to new national
research conducted by Trutex, a schoolwear supplier, children these days
spend 70 per cent less time being physically active than we did as children.
The culprits for this inactivity include watching TV and playing computer
and video games.
One thousand parents and children, aged six to 15 years, were surveyed.
Worryingly, children only spend on average three hours and 30 minutes
per week on active pursuits, whereas their parents spent at least 11 hours
and 35 minutes. Musical and academic activities also suffer: children
now only spend 75 minutes per week engaging in such pursuits, as opposed
to the three hours spent by their parents.
Inactivity also seems to be influenced by gender: girls are even more
unlikely to play sports outside school, spending only one hour and 50
minutes per week, as opposed to the two hours and five minutes boys do.
It hardly comes as a surprise, therefore, that 84% of parents agree that
our children are more unfit than we were at their age and think that schools
should do more to ensure that children are active. But perhaps it's time
to stop passing the buck and take responsibility ourselves for our children's
health.
Trutex, who sponsored the survey, is supporting a pilot scheme in London
schools called 'Move it': the aim of which is to encourage children to
participate in a variety of different sporting activities, such as basketball,
rugby and dance aerobics. However, why not try to interest your children
in sports yourself? Swimming, cycling and walking are fun pursuits that
the whole family can enjoy. By being active yourself, you are setting
your kids a good example to follow.
An electronic child abuser?
Most parents probably want to strike a happy balance when it comes to
television. From talking to you on the boards about this, it seems we
all adapt a fairly responsible attitude towards telly-watching: ensuring
that our children only watch educationally approved programmes such as
Teletubbies and for set times in the day.
While many health professionals over here would agree that this is a
sensible way to deal with television and its delights (everything in moderation),
the situation is quite different in the States. So concerned is the American
Academy of Pediatrics that it is recommending a complete ban on television
for children under two years of age. This is confirmed in an amusingly
entitled paper, published by two Harvard academics, called Say No to Teletubbies:
"Television viewing is exactly the opposite of what toddlers need for
their development …[and] should be postponed for as long as possible."
Respected psychologist and broadcaster Dr Aric Sigman has been hitting
the headlines over here with this precise message. So concerned was he
about the potential long-term risks of television on children, and a society
as a whole, that he has just published his findings on the matter in a
book called Remotely Controlled: How television is damaging our lives
- and What we can do about it. And it will make for uncomfortable reading
for parents, programme makers and television producers alike.
According to Dr Sigman, who has based his claims on findings published
by medics from top American universities and his own extensive worldwide
research, TV adversely affects our children's behaviour and brain development,
slows the metabolism, hinders educational progress, increases the likelihood
of ADHD and is a major cause of depression. It is no wonder, therefore,
that increasing numbers of professionals working with children are talking
about decreasing attention spans and poor (even violent) behaviour.
Many parents would argue, at this point, that if programmes are specifically
designed to be educational and suitable for particular physical and emotional
stages in a child's development, then what's the issue? How can they be
bad for brain development and learning? Dr Sigman argues that it's not
the content of the programmes that's to blame but the activity of watching
TV.
Watching TV distorts the wiring in the brain," he explains. "When children
are exposed to anything new and interesting, the brain releases a chemical
called dopamine. Dopamine is commonly associated with the 'pleasure system'
of the brain and provides feelings of enjoyment and encouragement to continue
doing what is releasing the dopamine. "Television represents the world
in a much richer way than real life," explains Dr Sigman, "It is, in effect,
a visual flavour enhancer, giving kids unnatural levels of sensory stimulation
for very little participation." Why read a book, go for a walk, draw a
picture if the rewards are fewer in comparison? If telly can give you
so much pleasure, then surely there is no need to look elsewhere for contentment?
You may be saying that your children are only exposed to television for
an hour or two a day. Yet figures show that kids these days are watching
far too much telly: by the time a child is six, he will have spent an
entire year in front of it, according to Dr Sigman. And, as discussed
before, if it's not television, it's probably a computer game.
"The reality is, no matter how educational in content our programmes
are, television cannot develop the brain as effectively as other activities,"
stresses Dr Sigman. "Watching people on the screen will not be as mentally
stimulating as talking to another person face to face. And watching a
factual programme will not develop the brain as much as looking at a book."
At this point, it is tempting to suggest that a researcher might know
a lot about the theory but perhaps not so much about the reality of bringing
up children and the relief that five minutes of the Fimbles can give you
in an otherwise fraught day. However, Dr Sigman is a father of four and
has recently imposed a television ban in his house for his kids, with
surprising success.
"When I tell parents that I've recently stopped my own young children
from watching television, [they say]: 'But what do they do all day? How
do you keep them busy?' Fortunately, to my surprise, they keep themselves
perfectly busy without much help from me. Children are naturally nosy
and their imaginations can be jump-started by leaving the intellectual
space for them to begin the process. Whether it's scribbling, playing
with cardboard or digging in the garden, they will naturally do things…
the process driving it is their imagination and initiative."
The debate about whether television is beneficial (in small amounts)
or harmful (in any amounts) is bound to continue. Yet, whatever, stance
we take, it is worth bearing in mind what is happening in the States as,
according to Dr Aric Sigman, we're not far behind. A quarter of US babies
and toddlers from six months to two years have a telly in their bedroom,
with 10% having a remote control specially designed for their age group.
More than 50% of three-year-olds have a set in their bedroom, rising to
nine in ten children, aged 8 to 16. The irony is that we laugh about the
old-fashioned saying that "Children should be seen and not heard". Yet,
by encouraging insular pastimes such as television viewing, we are actually
endorsing that belief.
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