fbpx
Banner
Equipment, Tech & Toys

TV, the Electronic Babysitter You Should Fire

Share on WhatsApp Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

TV

Long hours at work and coming home to a pile of chores sound like a tune we’re all much too familiar with as parents. And having a pint-sized person with enthusiastic opinions and quick feet in the way of getting the laundry done is just about all you can take without having your head done in. Thank god for the TV – the one babysitter that your usually bouncy little toddler can sit entranced with for hours without making a peep. It makes you feel a little guilty but hey, we do what we’ve got to do.

When baby Aria first came, Max and I took some time adjusting to two and for a while, we had used the TV to keep Aidan occupied while we managed other things. It was frustrating because our two-year-old constantly needed our attention and eventually seemed to want to watch TV all the time, preferring the screen to even playing outdoors.

It scared me into doing some research and I began reading a bunch of literature related to how screens change brain development, many of which seem to have to do with “shortening attention spans, reducing impulse control and heightening aggression”. More studies claim that more screen-time is directly correlated to increased likeliness of ADD and ADHD symptoms because TV poisons attention spans and the ability to focus, which is a classic hallmark of executive function. It makes sense – the blink-and-you’ll-miss, ever-changing pace of TV shows is greatly unnatural and once a child begins to see this rate as normal, surely it can be challenging to get him to sit still for a half-hour lesson on the letter “M”.

And worst of all, once they’re started on it, it’ll be tough to wean because TV is addictive and sets up a habit for life. I was certainly learning that the hard way.

I see the logic in the arguments – like the fact that passive viewing bypasses the need for imagination – and that children’s brains were designed to optimally develop by engaging with the physical world and their perception of it. The tried-and-tested methods like fantasy play, building with blocks, art, social interaction, physical outdoor activities and reading have been proven to provide an avenue for self-regulation, problem solving, creativity and people skills as well as the foundation for learning, math and reasoning, so why let TV get in the way?

Developmental molecular biologist and research consultant John Medina dedicates an entire section of his book Brain Rules for Baby on how TV affects children. Backed by science, he explains why we need to consider the content of what our kids are being exposed to. Some excerpts:

  1. Kids are very good imitators. Also known as deferred imitation, babies have the ability to reproduce a behavior after witnessing it only once which has clearly powerful implications. The skill never leaves children, something advertisers have known for decades. A study on bullying shows for each hour of TV watched daily by children below age 4, there was a 9% increase in risk that they would engage in bullying behavior by the time they started school. The American Association of Pediatrics estimates that 10-20% of real life violence can be attributed to exposure to violence.
  2. Content is important because our expectations and assumptions profoundly influence our perception of reality. This is due to the brain’s eagerness and willingness to insert its opinion directly into what you’re currently experiencing – and then fool you into thinking that this hybrid is the actual reality. Experiences morph into expectations, which can, in turn, influence your behavior.

My reading literature was so overwhelmingly negative against the TV that I put a kicking-and-screaming Aidan on a TV fast early in the year. His behaviour changed dramatically. He began learning to play by himself, from making sounds while he pushed his train around to playing pretend with his bear and making imaginary forts with his climbing gym. Then Max got in with the programme too, starting him on blocks and making something different every night. Now they’ve got a lovely photo collection of things they’ve built with their Duplo.

Having to turn off the TV is tough to hear for parents that need a break. But if you simply have no choice, there are a few recommendations to follow to mitigate the worst consequences on your kids:

1. Set limits on screen time. A team of child specialists provides this following guideline for technology use by children and youth:

ScreenTime
2. Help your kids choose the programmes they will experience and pay special attention to any media that allow intelligent interaction.

3. Watch the chosen TV shows with your children, interacting with the media and helping them analyse and think critically about what they’ve just experienced.

Admittedly, when I’m alone with the two, the TV is still my preferred babysitter so I can handle the baby without the toddler harassing us both. But after experiencing first-hand how badly it affected Aidan, I’m much more vigilant about its use and have now decided that it’s better to send him to playschool for a few hours a day to free up some time. Other times, I encourage him to play on his own. Because risking his brain development is much too high a price to pay for keeping him busy looking at the boob tube.

Khairun is a mum to two kids and owner of Recovr Resources Sdn Bhd, a growing social enterprise in the recycling and equal employment industry. She and her family are currently living in Jakarta.

Image Credit: Flickr user Kelly Sikkema