It is clear that planting a small child alone in front of the television (or computer) for a long time to "entertain" him while we perform other tasks It's not a good idea. I am of the opinion that both television and the computer will be an indispensable part of our children's lives as well as our own, and that it is best to share those moments with them, especially at the beginning.
Yesterday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine magazine a study on the effect of children's exposure to television on verbal interactions between parents and children.
The study has been carried out in families of low socioeconomic status, although I am convinced that the results would be similar in medium-high families, since as we see here, 97% of parents recognize using television or a Video to entertain children.
In addition, the data was taken with babies up to 6 months, what will it be when they grow up and need more movement and entertainment. More TV
The boy or girl lost in dialogue, in linguistic competence, and develops his vocabulary less than if he speaks or listens to the elders. In addition, of course, he loses contact and affectivity with them. I do not say that it is not good at a given time (sometimes it even appears to us as "the solution") that the little ones see some chapter of their favorite drawings alone.
But to give the DVD to play the same thing several times seems excessive. The same with leaving them exposed without any control to telebasura, even to the negative effects on the organism.
Alan Mendelsohn, director of clinical research in the Department of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine, at the University of New York, states that neither is educational television the solution. Even the effects of this less verbal interaction between parents and children would have negative consequences in the subsequent school development according to the research.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years of age do not watch television and limit TV time for the elderly to two hours. Other experts increase the age to 3 years. More data confirm that they are not recommendations at all. The Kaiser Family Foundation, in another study, has determined that 61% of children under 2 are exposed to television in the United States.
This gives what to think, and makes us wonder to what extent we work thinking about the benefit of babies or children. As I say, at specific times, I think it doesn't hurt to see a suitable program for a short time. But we have to ensure that they are not exposed to the television bazofia (or Internet user) and think that from where else they will learn and develop both linguistically and rationally in general and in affectivity, is being with us.
