Statistics show that screen time negatively affects children’s learning abilities and development. “The effects of so much screen time can include speech delays, aggressive behavior and obesity. ” (Lavey) Since parents play a role in how much television their kids can watch, they can minimize the chances of their brains not developing correctly. “The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.
” (Kids Health) Children do not understand the damage that can be caused by excessive screen time, which is why parents need to become more involved and teach them. By minimizing the amount of time that children spend using television and other screen times, they will increase their levels of brain activity and have improved neurological development. Screen time, of all types, can affect children in many different ways; some of them are positive, but many of them are negative.
Watching television and using other types of screen times too much can affect many aspects of children’s lives, including their health and school performance. In order to stay healthy, kids need to eat right, as well as get plenty of regular exercise. This is not hard for most children since they are generally very active. However, when they are sitting in front of the television all day, they are not staying active. This will eventually start to take a toll on their weight and general physical well-being.
“The difficulty really comes in that once a child is obese they more than likely will remain obese into and through their adulthood. There is no easy fix. It takes time, hard work and a drive to change habits that have been established for a long time. ” (Sigman) So the sooner you get your child to start following good and healthy habits the better; this includes watching television because one of children’s favorite things to do while watching television is eat. School performance also can be drastically affected if children are exposed to too much screen time.
They will not make time to do their homework, which will ultimately have a negative impact on their grades. Younger people are affected much more easily by what they see or hear on television or the computer. These things will have a bigger impact and influence on them than they would on someone older who knows better and knows what is right and wrong. There are plenty of commercials and shows on television that can be a bad influence on kids. Everything from violence and crime to drugs and sexual content can be found on both the computer and television.
Even though parents try their best to teach their children right from wrong, if they see these things enough on a regular basis, it will have some kind of negative effect on them. When children see these bad things happening on television, and they see that nothing is being done to stop them, they automatically assume that it is all acceptable for them to do as well. This, again, can begin to affect other aspects of their lives negatively such as school and their behavior. Research shows that the majority of screen time has a negative effect on children of all ages.
Children ranging from ages two to 11, on average, spend anywhere from 25 to 35 hours a week in front of the television, or other forms of screen time. At such young ages, children should not be spending that much of their time watching television. There are many other much more stimulating activities that they could be doing instead that could help them in their development into adults including playing outside, reading, or writing. Parents are a big cause of this because the majority of them do not care how much or how often their children watch television.
Some even encourage it, and think that it is good for their children. “Studies show that screen time cuts into the adult-child interaction that is crucial to developing language skills. ” (Lavey) So, if parents do not pay attention to the amount of screen time their children are exposed to when they are young, it can affect their ability to learn how to speak correctly. Many programs on television teach kids things that are unacceptable or that can affect them in negative ways. Commercials and other ads, as well as many shows.
demonstrate unethical and unhealthy ways to live life, and children, at such young ages, can easily pick up on those things and make them habits of their own. Everything from stereotypes to violence, unhealthy eating habits to drugs, alcohol and sex is shown on television on a variety of channels. “Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching television are more likely to be overweight. Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
Television characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes. ” (Kids Health) There are over two thousand ads on television each year for alcohol. If children are exposed to these things, especially at such young ages, they will definitely be impacted by them. They will begin to think that things they see on television are acceptable, and will eventually start to copy what they see. Children are known for wanting to copy anything they hear or see when they are young, so parents should be sure that they surround their child only with positive influences.
Although there are a number of negative effects of television and other screen times, they are not necessarily all bad. Certain things can be reversed so that there are more positive effects resulting from all the screen time. Parents can play a role in their children’s exposure to television and other screen times. If they monitor them, and teach their children what and what not to believe from what they see on television, they may have the power to reverse it into something good.
When used in moderation, screen times can actually benefit children, usually those who are over the age of two. Watching television with your children, and teaching and educating them about what they are watching will help because then they will not be affected as easily. They will come to understand, with help from their parents, that just because they see something on television does not mean it is right or tolerable to do themselves. Studies have shown that television and other screen time can be educational for children to a certain extent.
“Good educational programs can provide lasting benefits to children at many ages, but it may be especially important to provide such fare for very young children because they are less likely than older children to be exposed to formal preschool instruction, and because stable habits of viewing may be formed in the first few years of life. ” (Huston, Science Daily) There can be just as many good things to be found on television and the computer as there are bad. Since we know how entertaining television is for children, we can definitely use it to our
advantage, by only allowing them to watch education programs and keeping them away from all of the negative things. This gives parents a way to keep their children happy and entertained, but also at the same time help to expand their knowledge and keep them away from all of the negative things that they may see or hear on television. The most important thing to understand and keep in mind is that children have not finished fully growing until they are well into their teenage years, when they are young their brains are still developing, so they will retain negative information easier and pick up on bad habits more quickly.
Children will benefit more from decreased use of screen times, which will also help improve their attention span and overall academic performances. Watching television and using other screen times in moderation is acceptable and can also be beneficial; it is only when they are abused and over-used that they become a problem. With the known negative facts about children overusing television and other screen times, monitoring the amount of time they spend using them will increase chances of improved brain activity and development into adulthood. Works Cited “KidsHealth. ” How TV Affects Your Child. N. P. , n.
d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. . Lavey, Kathleen. “Screen Time Effects on Early Childhood Development. ” EHow. Demand Media, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. . Arora, Meenu. “Children and Screen Time. ” ProQuest. India Currents, 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. . Meier, Mary D. “The Effects of Leisure-Based Screen Time. ” ProQuest. American Journal of Health Education, May-June 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. . “Television Can Enhance Children’s Intellectual Development. ” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 Sept. 2001. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. . “Screen Time and Child Obesity. ” NewsWise. N. P. , 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. .
