The negative effects of television on children

Psychologists and educators have spent decades alerting parents to the harmful effects of television on the little ones in the house. For this reason, many researchers They have invested their time in verifying what is true in this hypothesis.

Is it true that television harms the development of children? And if so, how does television affect their development?

The more television, the more problems at school

Television used appropriately and within certain limits can be positive, but we must not forget that is a socializing agent and, therefore, transmits values. Therefore, it is necessary that there is control over what children watch.

It is common for many parents, in order to have a moment to breathe, to sit their children in front of the small screen. You have to be careful when doing this, because a study in which it was published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, and in which the Sainte Justine University of Quebec and the University of Michigan participated, showed that

children who at 2, 3 and 4 years of age spent more hours in front of the television had more problems at school and they had adopted more harmful habits by the age of 10 years.

According to this study, excessive television exposure during childhood caused a 7% decrease in school engagement, a 6% decrease in achievement in math, a 10% increase in victimization by classmates, a 13% decrease in time spent on activity fitness on weekends, a 9% increase in the consumption of soft drinks, and a 10% increase in the consumption of little "snacks" healthy.

Childhood is an essential stage in brain development

The authors of the study emphasize that childhood is an essential stage for brain development. During this period, the brain and its neural circuits undergo an intense process of selective stabilization of synapses. The best way to create these connections is through play. In other words, children develop their intellect experimenting with the physical world.

TV exposure can make us more anxious and violent

Television has had a huge impact on our culture. For this reason, Michel Desmurget, doctor of neuroscience and director of research at INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research) carried out an investigation to find out the impact of “television” on our lives.

Their study concluded that television exposure seems to make us more competitive, anxious, and aggressive individuals. On the other hand, this research also affirmed that an excess of television during childhood is related to the appearance of disorders of attention in the early stages of growth, and, as mentioned, can lead to anxiety and delinquency also during childhood. adolescence.

The relationship between health problems and the use of television

But there is even more, because children between the ages of 2 and 10 who spend more than two hours a day in front of the television are 30% more likely to have high blood pressure. It seems that the cause lies in the relationship between a sedentary lifestyle and the frequent use of television.

On the other hand, television seems to exert a strong influence on the culture of the image. A study conducted in the Republic of the Fiji Islands concluded that even 69% of adolescents began to control their weight after continuous exposure to the media. So we see that television also modulates the beliefs of minors.

The recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

From what we can see, several scientific studies have shown the negative effects of television use: aggressive behavior, anxiety, academic performance, negative perception of one's own image, etc. Nevertheless, an appropriate use of television can be positive. Therefore, so that the small screen does not become a negative aspect of children's development, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) proposes several tips for parents:

• Remove televisions from children's rooms.
• Only allow the use of television and other audiovisual media for one to two hours a day maximum. The content must be of quality and, therefore, what children and adolescents are seeing must be controlled. Choose informational and educational content programs.
• Children under the age of two should not watch television. Instead, parents should encourage them to practice activities that stimulate brain development: talking, playing, reading, etc.
• If possible. watch television with children and take advantage of the programs to start discussions about family values, violence, sex, drugs, etc.
• Use videos and DVDs to record educational programs.
• Support educational programs at school about the media.
• Encourage children to develop other activities such as reading, sports or hobbies.