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Nursery World reported on research which suggests that young children watching more than two hours a day may develop poor social skills and behavioural problems.
The research from Johns Hopkins University looked at viewing habits of children between the age of two and a half and five and a half, and a correlation between sustained TV viewing and behavioural problems was found.
However, it was found that if children reduced their viewing by five and a half, they were not at great risk which implied that damage is reversible.
(Nursery World, 04.10.07)
The BBC website reported that psychologist Dr Aric Sigman is advising MPs that the amount of time children spend watching TV should be rationed. The article highlighted that Dr Sigman argues that children under three should not watch any TV.
It was reported that Dr Sigman would like government to provide parents with daily guideline amounts of how much TV children should be watching. His concerns were being voiced at a Children and the Media conference at the House of Commons.
Dr Sigman was quoted as saying: "Providing general guidance on whether infants should be watching television and how much time children should spend in front of the screen is hardly radical. Screen medica must now be considered a major public health issue and reducing television viewing must become the new priority for child health"
However, Grege Childs from the Save Kids' TV campaign was also quoted in the article and saw banning television for under threes as 'unrealistic and unnecessary', and the focus should be on the quality of programmes.
He said "There are plenty of studies that indicate the educational value of programmes for children (and) the socialisation value in the way that they create conversations rather than destimulate them."
(BBC website, 23.04.07)
The devastating extent to which watching television damages
children's health is spelt out in a report today. It lists
15 ways that over-exposure to TV can harm youngsters - from
fuelling obesity and shortsightedness to causing premature
puberty and autism.
Author Dr Aric Sigman, who reviewed 35 academic studies,
said the findings implicated televison in 'the greatest unacknowledged
health scandal of our time'. Dr Sigman claimed that, based
on national viewing figures, the average child will have spent
a full year watching television by the time they are six.
More than half of three-year-olds have TVs in their bedrooms.
Dr Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological
Society, said that children under three should not be watching
any television at all and parents should only introduce it
'judiciously' after that.
He recommended that between the ages of three to five children
should watch no more half an hour of 'good quality programming'
a day.
(Extracted from Daily Mail, 19.02.07)
To view the full report visit www.iob.org/downloads/1260.pdf
The notion that young children can learn productively by
watching television is widely dismissed by scientists who
study the developing brain. The time between the ages of 6
months and 3 years is accepted as a critical phase for learning
skills such as language, and research suggests that this is
best accomplished by interaction with adults.
A study by Patricia Kuhl, of the University of Washington,
in Seattle, for example, has found that children aged 10 months
learn sound patterns easily by playing with an adult, but
learn nothing at all by watching the same adult performing
the same games and exercises on a television screen.
Similar research has shown that in young children, watching
television, videos or DVDs is no substitute for real encounters
with adults and other children. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, of
the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College
London, said that the best evidence suggested television for
toddlers was a waste of time. "There is a body of research
showing that, in a variety of contexts, young children learn
optimally with another human, rather than with a video of
a human," said Dr Blakemore, the co-author, with Professor
Uta Frith, of The Learning Brain.
Dr Blakemore added: "If an infant is watching TV for an hour
a day, then fine. So long as they are also playing with adults
and children for most of the day, it is not going to do them
any harm, though it will do no good either."
(Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent,
The Times, 12.05.06)
Does watching the flickering lights and frenetically changing
pace of some children's TV programs affect a child's brain
enough to cause symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder? Not likely, new research suggests.
While previous studies have linked early television exposure
to attention problems, a new study in the March issue of Pediatrics
failed to find a connection between ADHD and TV viewing habits.
"TV is designed to capture our attention and move us quickly
from one subject to the next. The question is, does the young
brain become different because of this?" asked study co-ordinator
Tara Stevens, an assistant professor in the department of
educational psychology and leadership at Texas Tech University.
Stevens said that from this study, it appeared that was not
the case. And, as far as ADHD symptoms were concerned: "It
was clear that the relationship with TV viewing was close
to zero."
She was quick to point out that she and co-author Miriam
Mulsow weren't advocating TV viewing in children, however.
But she added: "I think these findings take a little bit of
the pressure off parents. It's very likely that you did not
do something wrong to make your child develop ADHD."
The researchers randomly selected two samples of 2,500 children
each from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten.
That study includes 22,000 youngsters who started kindergarten
during the 1998-1999 school year. Information is collected
from the children, parents and teachers. For the new analysis,
only information from parents and teachers was included.
The researchers looked at the children's behaviour during
their first year of kindergarten and then again near the end
of first grade. They included information on television exposure,
any limits placed on TV viewing, parental involvement, socioeconomic
status and symptoms of ADHD. They found no association between
television exposure and symptoms of ADHD. They also found
that parental involvement - such as the amount of time parents
spent in children's activities that didn't involve TV - didn't
have a link to ADHD symptoms.
Stevens said it's important to note that the children who
showed ADHD symptoms hadn't been diagnosed with ADHD. Also,
she said, at least one previous study that found an association
between TV and ADHD included much younger children, so it's
possible that results may be different for a child under three
who watches lots of TV. That's because the brain is much more
'plastic' or changeable the younger a child is, she said.
So, TV viewing at two or three years of age may have more
of an effect than TV viewing at five or six.
Seeking to explain why previous research found an association
between television viewing and ADHD and the new study did
not, Stevens said parents of hyperactive children may use
TV as a babysitter more than other parents, simply because
they need a break or need to capture their child's attention
while they make dinner or take a shower.
Dr Jess Shatkin, director of education and training at the
New York University Child Study Centre, said he wasn't prepared
to fully accept the new findings. "This is a thoughtful and
interesting study, but there's not enough data to support
the idea that we shouldn't be cautious about kids' exposure
to all media. This doesn't change anything I would tell parents."
The bottom line for parents, he said, is 'all things in moderation'.
Some educational TV may be good for some children, Shatkin
said, but 'what's good for one isn't necessarily good for
another'.
(www.forbes.com, 06.03.06)
Television is here to stay: a statement
of the obvious, perhaps, 60 years after it began. But too
often people imply that all would be well with the world if
television just went away, and we believe we have to face
it in a more responsible way.
When we started the Talk To Your Baby campaign at the National
Literacy Trust in 2003, the most frequent response was that
surely all the problems with children's poor communication
skills could laid at the door of television. We don't think
that is necessarily the case, and there are multiple social
and cultural factors contributing to why it is such a problem
now. Television undoubtedly contributes, but used responsibly
it can aid young children's language learning.
The reality is that television is not just in every home
but increasingly in many young children's bedrooms. EastEnders
is currently the most watched show among British four-year-olds.
It is the unsupervised watching of inappropriate programmes
that can lead to problems.
We commissioned a research review, which showed how little
investigation there has been on television watching for the
under-twos. There is, though, some evidence suggesting that
under-twos cannot cope with high levels of stimulation. A
study by Dr Dimitri Christakis in Seattle concludes that children
under two should not be allowed to watch any television at
all, as it can lad to over-stimulation and poor concentration
skills. Dr Christakis suggests that under-twos who watch three
hours of television a day are 30 per cent more likely to develop
Attention Deficit Disorder. Children who are exposed to unrealistic
and unnatural levels of stimulation at a young age, he says,
continue to expect this in later life, leading to difficulty
dealing with the slower pace of school and homework.
Quality counts
For children aged two to five, however, it is clear that high
quality educational programmes designed for this age group
can enhance language development. In the UK we are lucky that
we have good quality, carefully prepared programming suitable
for the early years to watch. Programmes with a single gentle
voice, for example, are most suitable for very young children,
as multiple voices are extremely confusing in the pre-school
years.
Our research review also revealed that young children are
often unable to watch age-appropriate programming, as older
siblings command the remote control. We all also need to remember
to turn the television off when a programme has finished.
Having it on permanently in the background can hinder listening
skills. But its greater impact is in the distraction it causes
to adults who are, as a result, less likely to talk and play
with their children.
It is clear that allowing young children to watch too many
adult and general audience programmes can be confusing for
them. When Sesame Street was
being created, research found that pre-schoolers needed to
make sense of what they watched, far more than they needed
all-singing, all-dancing entertainment to hold their attention.
Young children don't watch when they are stimulated and look
away when they are bored - they watch when they understand,
and look away when they are confused.
Watch together - then turn it off
It is actually more useful for young children to watch videos
of children's programmes, as the repetition fosters a certain
familiarity with particular programmes and encourages anticipation
and involvement. The best way for young children to watch
television is in small bites, and with adult involvement.
If you talk about a programme with the child after watching
it, children are likely to gain more from the experience.
And if you turn the television off when the programme has
ended, the child is more likely to go and play - inspired
by the programme, entertained by the characters, and probably
singing the song as well.
We all need time to relax, and be entertained, and it is
fine for children to enjoy watching television -some of the
time. By itself, television is neither the cause not the answer
to language issues. What is important is that parents and
carers are aware of the pros and cons of television watching,
and maximise the opportunities whilst diminishing potential
risks.
(Practical Professional Child Care, October
2005)
The mean time spent watching television during childhood
and adolescence is significantly associated with leaving school
without qualifications, and negatively associated with attaining
a university degree. This is according to a study report,
Association of Television viewing
during childhood with poor educational achievement,
by Robert Hancox, Barry Milne and Richie Poulton, which was
published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
in July 2005.
The study investigated concerns that watching too much television
may have a negative impact on education. It concluded that
television viewing in childhood and adolescence is associated
with poor educational achievement by 26 years of age. It stated
that excess television viewing in childhood may have long-lasting
adverse consequences for educational achievement and subsequent
socioeconomic status and well-being.
For more information on the report go to www.archpediatrics.com
(Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine,
July 2005)
TV viewing by under-twos may have no benefits at all, and
may in itself be harmful to the subsequent cognitive development
of children. This is according to a study by Dr Dimitri Christakis
and DR Frederick Zimmerman of the Department of Pediatrics
at the University of Washington, which was published in the
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine in July 2005.
The study was conducted by investigating cognitive development
of children of ages 6 and 7 years, against hours of television
viewed per day before the age of 3, and at ages 3-5 years.
It used data from a nationally representative data set and
regressed four measures of cognitive development.
Analysis of the data suggests to Zimmerman and Christakis
that television watching by very young children does not help
their cognitive development, and may be associated with adverse
cognitive outcomes. These associations, they argue, are likely
to be directly or indirectly causal, because the data included
extensive controls on other factors that might affect cognitive
development such as parental ability and input. There is evidence
to suggest that in children aged 3-5 years, television watching
may have a beneficial effect on outcomes of reading recognition
and short-term memory, although not on mathematics ability
or reading comprehension.
The quality of the television watched has a great impact
on what its effects are, and high-quality television specifically
aimed at young children will have a much more beneficial effect
than that which is not. The study says it aims to look at
the effects of TV watching on a population level, ie in terms
of what children are actually watching, which is often not
appropriate or aimed specifically at them. The study was conducted
in America, where there is a greater tendency for children
to watch large amounts of low-quality television, so its overall
effects may appear to be more negative than they would be
in other countries such as the UK, where there is different
programming and a somewhat different television culture. The
study admits that 'the results here are specific to the programming
and cultural context of the United States'.
It is telling that the same quality of television which
seems as though it may have some useful effects when watched
by children ages 3-5, appears to have none when watched by
those under 2. Television watching and its effects are intimately
bound up with many other factors in child development, so
we do need to remain realistic about how great an effect television
itself has. In addition we need to be realistic about what
people's lifestyles are like in the modern world, and the
extent to which television pervades these lifestyles.
The report concludes that there are modest adverse effects
of television viewing before the age of 3 years on the subsequent
cognitive development of children. It says that the results
suggest that greater adherence to the American Academy of
Pediatrics guidelines that children younger than 2 years not
watch television is warranted.
For more information on the report go to www.archpediatrics.com
(Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, July 2005)
A new book argues that popular culture is not dumbing down
our youth; far from it. TV and video games are becoming more
complex and more challenging.American academic and writer
Steven Johnson, who teaches at New York University, argues
that one of the most pervasive and wrong-minded modern myths
is that popular culture is becoming dumber and making us more
stupid. The opposite is true, he says.
'Everything Bad is Good for You: how popular
culture is making us smarter', by Steven Johnson, is published
by Penguin Press
(TES Friday, 20.05.05)
Four-year-olds who watch excessive amounts of television
are significantly more likely to become bullies, scientists
reported in April 2005. Emotional support and interaction
as well as mental stimulation during formative years were
found to reduce the risks of later aggressive behaviour in
children by around a third.
American children aged six to 11 who were categorised as
bullies watched an average five hours of television per day
compared to the 3.2 hours watched by non-bullies. Dr Frederick
Zimmerman, of the University of Washington, Seattle, and lead
author of the study, said: "Maximising cognitive stimulation
and limiting television-watching in the early years of development
might reduce children's subsequent risk of becoming bullies."
The researchers, whose work was published in the journal
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, studied 1,266
American four-year-olds. They found that the average amount
of time spent watching television was 3.5 hours per day. Bullies
watched on average five hours per day and non-bullies 3.2
hours.
(Telegraph, 5 April 2005)
If the number one social crime is smoking and the second
eating too much cake, the third must, by a country mile, be
allowing the under-fives to watch television. Not a week goes
by without a new piece of research revealing the debilitating
effects of parking tots in front of a screen for hours on
end; a form of abuse which leads inevitably first to attention
deficit disorder and then couch potato syndrome. The report
linking smoking to children's television can only be moments
away.
So imagine my delight when just last week my own contribution
to the soaring statistics of delinquent toddlers began to
show disturbing signs of becoming obsessed with television.
A character on the eminently suitable CBeebies show Storymakers
(it's set in a library! They make books! No one smokes!) called
Superbaby was the culprit, and a chance mention of this in
the office revealed another, similarly obsessed two-year-old.
Further investigation uncovered more addicts. A small baby
doll in a cape, superimposed on a primary-coloured cartoon
background, flying around looking for sad people to help has
transfixed the target two-year-old age group and that's not
as easy as it might sound.
Superbaby ("she's super, she's dooper, she really is a trooper,
Superbaby!"), makes only fleeting appearances among the large
cast of characters that appear in Storymakers, but she's the
only one to be aimed squarely at the bottom end of the two-
to five-year-old target audience. Producer Tony Reed, aware
of the huge span of ability, interest and awareness in that
range, felt the show was skewing too old as it entered its
fourth series and wanted to balance it with a story aimed
at the younger ones. He began with picture books for two-year-olds
and the knowledge that television for little ones means saying
what you see and illustrating it, ideally with specially commissioned
music to hold the story together. The idea of a superhero
who's also a baby, doing good in exchange for a hug, pleased
the team who felt it was witty enough to amuse the older audience
and could also work for the tots.
As with all great childhood cult series, there's a shortage
of supply. Only 15 four-minute episodes of Superbaby exist
- it's relatively expensive for CBeebies, with its animation
and special music, but it's judged to have worked well for
the very, very young, insofar as the channel can tell. Clare
Elstow, who heads the BBC's pre-school unit, points out that
Barb doesn't have boxes or viewing diaries for the under-fives,
so CBeebies is one of the last bastions of television not
governed by the demon ratings. Perhaps that's why instinct,
experience, quality and charm still feature largely in the
production decisions.
Instead of numbers, the commissioners and producers rely
on a network of nurseries, pre-schools and carers around the
country to research their ideas. They have plenty of advisers,
literacy guidelines, curriculum basics and early learning
goals, but essentially this very expe rienced group of people
learned how to make television for toddlers by spending their
working lives trying to see through their eyes.
Since the launch of CBeebies, the BBC has produced the toddler
juggernauts Balamory, the Shiny Show and Tikkabilla from scratch.
Along with the big out-of-house commissions, Teletubbies,
Tweenies and Fimbles, these shows have enough core learning
principles to gladden the heart of any reviewer from the Department
for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). More importantly the
shows are adored by their audience for some basic reasons.
Toddler TV means long close-ups on human presenters' faces
with plenty of eye contact and lip synching. Tikkabilla (it
means Hopscotch in Hindi), a song and dance-heavy magazine
show not dissimilar to Play School, was described by one nursery
school carer as the "the best one-to-one contact some children
get all day". Repetition is key for the preschooler but perhaps
the most important thing is the principle that every time
producers introduce a character, an animal, a shape, a number
or a colour, it may be the first time a child has seen it.
Never assume is the golden rule of preschool telly.
There is something scary about endeavouring to create telly
addicts out of two-year-olds. Elstow admits that CBeebies,
and its fellow pre-school channels such as Nick Jr, rely on
parents and carers not only to show judgment over how much
television they allow children to watch, but to watch it with
them so they get the most out of it. However, she is scathing
about the quality of the vast majority of research. "It is
almost entirely based on children exposed to a whole range
of TV, most of it not age-appropriate, so it's hardly surprising
if they don't get much out of it.
"Research that looks specifically at quality pre-school programming
has often found a pretty positive correlation with later achievement".
And whether it be in answer to the DCMS review or not, the
newest CBeebies shows all have a clear public service remit.
Razzle Dazzle is aimed at developing listening and communication
skills among children whose carers spend less and less time
talking to them one-to-one. Boogie Beebies is about getting
children to dance around - aimed at the couch potatoes - and
Something Special, a project which started in BBC Education,
uses Makaton sign language developed for children with learning
difficulties. It's an enormous relief for us repeat social
offenders to discover that the BBC intends to look after our
toddlers so carefully. As Elstow points out: CBeebies is the
one place left in the BBC which is still pleased to be called
Auntie.
(The Guardian, 02.08.04)
The following appeared alongside a feature article Is
television destroying our children's minds? inThe Guardian,
21.07.04.
Martin Large, author of Set Free Childhood
Children under three should not watch TV at all and should
watch as little as possible up until the age of seven. From
seven to 12, they should be allowed to watch suitable programmes,
but with close parental supervision. They should be shielded
from electronic media as much as possible - computers as well
as TV.
TV is neurologically damaging - it is too fast-paced and
over-stimulating and isn't at all creative; free time should
be spent on play activities and story time. A study of 1,000
children in Manchester in the 1990s found that a fifth of
the children observed had listening and attention problems
which impeded their language development. The constant background
noise of the television dulled their sense of hearing and
the lack of verbal interaction with their parents meant they
were unable to recognise basic words.
Dr Jeffrey Johnson, Associate professor of clinical psychology,
Columbia University
The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that parents
should limit children's TV viewing time to two hours a day.
Ideally, young children should not watch at all. Television
is highly addictive and it is often very difficult for children
to turn the set off. Parents can help by encouraging their
children to have a wide range of interests - including physical
exercise, interacting with other children, reading, art and
music. Moderate viewing of educational programmes can help
the development of language skills but even high-quality TV
programming can be problematic if viewing displaces other
important activities.
A child's mind is highly impressionable and the habits we
establish during childhood often stay with us throughout our
lifetimes. Our research indicates that adolescents who spend
too much time watching TV are more likely to experience frequent
sleep problems by early adulthood. We found that the risk
could be reduced if teenagers restricted their viewing to
less than an hour a day.
Liz Attenborough, manager of the Talk to Your Baby campaign
at the National Literacy Trust
A lot of the research as to how children are affected by TV
comes from America and as such is slightly misleading, in
that British TV is quite different from US TV. There are lots
of high-quality, carefully prepared programmes for early-years
in this country. Programmes with a single gentle voice are
most suitable for very young children - multiple voices are
extremely confusing in the pre-school years.
It is actually more useful to watch videos of children's
programmes as this fosters a certain familiarity with particular
programmes and encourages anticipation and so on. No child
learns a word from hearing something once and repetition is
important in developing in language skills. It is also important
to remember that it is OK for children to enjoy watching television
- everyone needs to have some time to relax and be entertained.
The context in which TV-watching occurs is key - if you talk
about a programme after watching it, children are likely to
gain more from the experience.Constantly having a TV on in
the background actually distracts adults and discourages them
from interacting with their child which is one of the main
ways that parents can help to foster and improve their children's
linguistic skills and educational development.
Louise Emanuel, consultant child and adolescent psychotherapist,
and head of the under-fives service at the Tavistock clinic,
London
I don't think there is any formula - it's not a case of simply
saying that so many hours a day is bad or whatever. There
are times when TV can be useful and comforting and watching
a favourite video can help a child who is in a transitional
stage such as starting school.
Very small children really need a good-quality carer who
is able to monitor and manage TV or whichever input they are
exposed to: all external influences should be mediated. If
parents discuss programmes afterwards, it helps to make a
link between what is watched and their view of the world.
If a child is left in front of the TV for a long time without
any adult presence, they may end up feeling quite glazed and
stop taking much in; sometimes they need to be "rescued" from
such a passive situation. It is important for whoever is looking
after them to be aware of how they are reacting and whether
or not they feel emotionally secure.
Parents assume that children's TV is OK but they need to
be observant of quality and content and recognise that the
story of the Three Little Pigs can be as frightening to a
young child as the Blair Witch Project is to us: stories can
be scary, but there is something about visual stimuli which
comes straight into the room that can be particularly powerful.
(The Guardian, 21.07.04)
Children who watch television for more than two hours a day
are more likely to grow into fat, unhealthy adults, according
to a 26-year survey.
Regardless of family background, class, or if they were overweight
as teenagers, those who watched lots of television consistently
turned out to be heavier, more likely to smoke, with higher
cholesterol levels and poorer physical fitness than those
who watched less.
Parents should limit television viewing to between one and
two hours a day, the researchers say - a target exceeded by
half of the children and two thirds of adolescents in the
study conducted in New Zealand.
Robert Hancox and colleagues from the University of Otago
monitored 1,000 people born in 1972 and 1973 until they were
26. They gathered information on television viewing at the
ages of 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, and assessed the health of participants
at the age of 26.
Just why television should be so damaging is unclear. One
possibility is that by watching television a lot a child develops
unhealthy habits of indolence that damage health. Another
is that exposure to advertising increases risky behaviour
such as smoking or an unhealthy diet.
The obvious explanation was that those who watched television
longest were from poorer families with a worse diet. While
this was true, the research team reports in The Lancet,
correcting for those factors did not eliminate the link between
watching television and health.
(Times, 16.07.2004)
Watching TV can benefit the language development of young
children - but parents and carers need to know the best ways
to make the most of it.
The conclusion, which flies in the face of much media coverage
about the impact of TV on youngsters, was reached by a research
review commissioned by the National Literacy Trust (NLT).
To make the most of TV parents and carers should consider
the following:
- Although watching the same video over and over may eventually
impinge on a parent's sanity, the repetition and familiarity
of words and phrases makes it easier for children to learn
from them.
- For a child to learn from a TV programme or video they
need the opportunity to talk about what they have watched
with an adult - this is easier to do when an adult and child
watch together.
- It is especially important that younger children watch
programming designed for their age group. This is difficult
when watching with an older brother or sister who may dominate
the remote control. Set aside TV time for all siblings.
- When the programme or video has finished, turn it off.
There is no substitute for talking to children.
Liz Attenborough, Manager of the NLT's Talk to Your Baby
campaign said: "We wanted to know if television really is
to blame for the difficulties in communication that many young
children seem to have when they arrive in school.
"What we found is that there are many social and cultural
factors that have an impact, but that in the right circumstances
television may be useful for young children's language development.
"Television has been part of our popular culture for over
50 years and continues to be so, and by itself is neither
the cause nor the answer to language issues. What is important
is that parents and carers are aware of the pros and cons
of TV watching and maximise the opportunities whilst diminishing
potential risks."
(National Grid for Learning, 5.14.04)
The idea came to Yuda Talit as he paced the floor in the
wee small hours, his wailing grandson, Jonathan, in his arms.
For the Israeli media executive, the solution to soothing
a restless infant was an instinctive one. A focus group of
eight-month-old experts clad in romper suits then gave his
plan a gurgling thumbs-up, and within weeks, the Baby Channel
was born.
If you spent last night trying, and failing, to persuade
your baby to sleep, read on.
The Baby Channel offers 24 hours a day, seven days a week
programming for children aged three and under. As you wind
your little one at 2am, you could be calming him with the
help of the origami characters of the Italian show Qua Qua,
or the animated creations of the Australian programme Art
Alive.
The Baby Channel's mission is simple: to entertain the tiniest
members of society as and when they desire, including when
they will not sleep. Launched with a free two-month pilot
scheme in January, it has taken nurseries across Israel by
storm, with several thousand households now said to have taken
out a subscription.
The company is also understood to have received inquiries
from a host of European countries, including the UK, about
the possibility of rolling out its service on these shores.
Before your mind fast forwards to the prospect of a better
night's sleep, maybe you should stop the tape and pause for
thought. Babies across Israel may be revelling in their very
own television channel, and their parents obviously think
the service is worth paying for. But not everyone is so impressed.
The Baby Channel has been dismissed by some as little more
than an electronic nanny, a device with which parents are
abnegating their duty to interact one-to-one with their child.
Despite these growing concerns, the viewing options for babes
in arms are expanding rapidly in the UK. This January, Telewest
launched Play and Learn, an interactive channel aimed at pre-school
children which costs £2.99 a month and is available 24 hours
a day. By the age of two, infants should be able to interact
unaided with their TV set.
With the help of the remote control, your little ones can
play simple interactive games, involving familiar characters
such as Miffy the rabbit or Mole, Ratty and Toad from The
Wind in the Willows. So baby might find himself helping Miffy
match pictures or guiding Dora the Explorer through a maze
while being chased by Swiper the fox.
Andrew Whiteman, the managing director of Kidstime Entertainment,
the company which produces the channel's content, accepts
that parents are likely to dump their babies in front of the
TV while they get on with household tasks.
But the father of two insists that Play and Learn is of greater
benefit to youngsters than other broadcasts which are not
targeted at their age group. "The point of all games is that
they are educational," he says. "We did a lot of research
into that to make sure what we were doing had benefits other
than kids staring at a screen. Children, even at a very young
age, are aware of television and the internet, but there wasn't
much out there that was aimed at them."
Maybe not when Play and Learn was launched, but today the
market in on-screen baby entertainment is booming, and opinion
on the consequences of this growing trend is split.
The Baby Bright videos were first launched in 2000 but next
month it relaunches with an expanded range which includes
DVDs. Designed for babies as young as three months, Baby Bright
offers videos filled with colour, movement, sound, objects
and music, based on scientific research into what really stimulates
babies, and the range comes with some serious credentials.
It is designed by Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith, the head
of the Neurocognitive Development Unit at the Institute of
Child Health in London.
"Baby Bright makes babies truly active participants," says
the professor, emphasising that the product is not about passive
viewing. "Not only is this video full of attractive colours,
movements, sounds, objects and music, but the content has
been devised to take account of the latest scientific research
into what really stimulates babies and how they structure
their own brain development."
Infants in the US are offered a similar alternative with
the Baby Einstein videos, which were launched in 1996 with
the slogan "Great Minds Start Little". These are designed
to introduce babies to the world around them by featuring
real objects, music, art and language. One DVD is Baby MacDonaldT
A Day on the Farm, which features live-action images and visuals
of puppets, children and toys with the sights and sounds of
a farm. Apparently working on the basis that education can
never start too early, it combines traditional nursery rhymes
with the music of Schubert, Schumann and Strauss.
More than one million Baby Einstein videos are believed to
be sold in the US every year. It doesn't and shouldn't take
the place of books or outdoor activities. TV is in addition
to, not instead of an active life Critics have suggested that
the videos could encourage pushy parents to "hot-house" their
children, and push them to achieve too much too young.
If you are in any doubt as to the industry feeling for the
potential market for on-screen baby entertainment, the fact
that the Walt Disney Company purchased Baby Einstein in 2001
gives some indication as to how this sector is expected to
expand.
But experts across the globe are becoming increasingly concerned
about the effects of television viewing on young children.
A report published in the April issue of the US medical journal
Pediatrics, found that each hour of television watched by
one to three-year-olds after the acceptable level of two hours
a day increased the risk of attention difficulties and concentration
by almost 10 per cent in later life.
The research has been questioned by TV producers, but its
findings echo growing concerns in the UK about the effects
of the goggle box on babies.
Liz Attenborough is manager of the National Literary Trust's
Talk To Your Baby Campaign, which was set up last year amid
concerns that increasing numbers of children were starting
school with poorly developed communication skills.
The campaign has reviewed all available research on the subject
of babies and television, and is in no doubt that excessive
viewing can hinder the development of a child's verbal skills,
which has a knock-on detrimental effect on their literary
abilities. A survey of head teachers by the trust in 2002
found that more children were arriving at nursery education
aged three without the language skills appropriate for their
age. Vocabulary was considered to be less well developed than
five years ago, with a reduced capacity to listen.
Attenborough accepts that such research reflects the views
of adults, rather than the children studied, but says infants
should only be allowed to watch television in moderation,
preferably in the company of an adult who is also viewing.
The Literary Trust's concern lies with the question of what
children are missing out on while they are watching television.
"Children would probably prefer a good half hour quality play
with a parent," she says simply.
However, a spokeswoman for the National Family & Parenting
Trust believes many parents are aware of the dangers posed
by TV targeted at babies in the time-poor, double-income household.
"Most parents we speak to don't want to put very young children
in front of television or computer screens for long times,"
she says.
Ayr-based psychologist Agnes Steven, argues that this is
the best policy to adopt. "Children will become slow developers
verbally because they don't need to talk," she says of infants
left to spend long periods in front of the screen. "If people
live in fantasy from childhood, once they have to start interacting
with people they have real problems in terms of communication
skills."
However, Dr Robin Campbell, a specialist in the intellectual
development of pre-school children who lectures at the University
of Stirling's Psychology Department, is less damning of the
industry that is out to attract your baby's attention.
"Should we worry about children spending excessive amounts
of time watching screens or reading?" he says. "Probably not.
It is good training for school and work." He points out that
in later childhood and adulthood, most people now have to
spend many hours a day in front of a screen.
Campbell adds that a very low percentage of children in the
UK are diagnosed with attention deficit problems, and suggests
that contrary to the US Pediatrics report, TV-viewing may
have unmeasured benefits.
This seems to be the school of thought adhered to by those
behind the Baby Channel. Interviewed by the Jerusalem Post,
Ron Isaak, its creative director, was quoted as saying: "It
doesn't and shouldn't take the place of books or of outdoor
activities. TV is in addition to, not instead of an active
life.
"Although there are some negatives associated with television,
with its recognised junk and bad programming, TV has changed
the world, and it can be a wonderful way to educate."
If you don't agree, hide the remote control. Television for
babies is on its way to a living room near you soon.
(Scotsman, 30.04004)
Television has escaped blame by parents for their children's
bad behaviour in a survey contradicting the conclusions drawn
by many professionals. The survey of 1,000 parents, conducted
as part of the campaign for the Barney Best Behaviours range
of toys and videos, found only one percent blamed televison
for behaviour, while 70 percent of parents said they believed
children's manners are not what they used to be and 94 percent
admitted that children learned most of their behaviour from
their parents.
(Nursery World, 22 April 2004)
Young children who watch television face an increased risk
of attention-deficit problems by school age, a study has found,
suggesting that television might overstimulate and permanently
'rewire' the developing brain. For every hour of television
watched daily, two groups of children - ages 1 and 3 - faced
a 10 percent increased risk of having attention problems at
age 7.
The findings bolster previous research showing that television
can shorten attention spans and support American Academy of
Pediatrics recommendations that children younger than 2 not
watch television.
"The truth is there are lots of reasons for children not
to watch television. Other studies have shown it to be associated
with obesity and aggressiveness, too" said lead author Dr
Dimitri Christakis, a researcher at Children's Hospital and
Regional Medical Center in Seattle.
The study, appearing in the April issue of Pediatrics, involved
1,345 children who participated in government-sponsored national
health surveys. Their parents were questioned about their
children's TV viewing habits and rated their behaviour at
age 7 on a scale similar to measures used in diagnosing attention-deficit
disorders.
In a Pediatrics editorial, educational psychologist Jane
Healy said the study "is important and long overdue but needs
to be followed up to confirm and better explain the mechanisms
that might be involved."
(The Washington Times, 5 April 2004)
Visit http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/tvapril.pdf
by Sue Palmer
"First, the good news. Television viewing by children between
the ages of two and five does not necessarily have a bad effect
on language development. Indeed, some research studies suggest
it can have long-term positive results. So those parents who
feel an hour of CBeebies is sometimes all that stands between
them and complete mental collapse can breathe easily again.
"Next, two bits of more worrying news: no one is yet
sure about the effects of too much TV on the under-twos; and
for all young children there's considerable difference between
the effects of 'appropriate' and 'inappropriate' viewing.
"This review [commissioned
by the National Literacy Trust] provides many helpful pointers
for parents and teachers, but if we are to learn more about
how the huge social phenomenon of television affects our children's
future capacity for learning, we really need a lot more focused
research."
(Times Educational Supplement, 2 April 2004)
Family meals are fast becoming a thing of the past, a study
has found. Karen Pasquali Jones, editor of Mother and Baby
magazine, which carried out the survey, said: The trend for
toddlers to eat alone in front of the TV is a recipe for disaster.
Toddlers need the experience of sitting up at the table. It
not only encourages them to eat properly, it improves their
speech and social skills."
(Daily Mail, 31 March 2004)
Some argue the very young should not watch TV Young children
who watch too much television have impaired language development,
research suggests. A review of studies on the subject for
the National Literacy Trust says children aged two to five
may benefit from good-quality educational TV.
The effect is enhanced when programmes are watched and discussed
with an adult, said researcher Dr Robin Close. But a lot of
viewing, especially of programmes intended for adults, is
associated with slower development. She advises "strictly
limiting the exposure of under-twos to television".
The chief inspector of England's schools, David Bell, has
complained that some five year olds cannot speak properly
when they start school.
Less expressive
The research review was published on Monday to coincide with
a conference the trust has organised in London, called TV
is Here to Stay. Dr Close examined the findings of studies
on English language development from a number of countries.
She found that, in the early years, there was evidence that
attention and comprehension, language, knowledge of letter
sounds and storytelling all benefited from high-quality educational
programming.
Children who were heavy television viewers were less able
to express themselves, though she says "specific cause and
effect relationships have not been identified". For those
aged under two, the literature was far less certain about
the benefits of "the current crop of educational television".
"Some evidence suggests that children under 22 months are
simply incapable of acquiring information from television,
or learning first words, and can only do so via interactions
with adults," Dr Close reported.
Too much stimulation
Watching programmes aimed at a general or adult audience was
associated with poor language development in pre-school children.
Researchers had found that the best TV involved content appropriate
to children's ages, and which let them watch, interact and
learn with adults.
Conversely, a negative experience went with excessive stimuli
for the under-twos, complex narratives, watching with older
siblings and watching adult programmes with adults. "Where
televisions are located in a child's bedroom, this is associated
with reduced opportunities for co-viewing with parents and
also with increased viewing of general or adult programming.
"The newness of the trend means that research has yet to
fully explore the effects of children's viewing and behaviour
patterns while watching television in their bedrooms."
A recent survey suggested that nearly a third of all children
under the age of four have a television in their bedroom.
Limits
Dr Close said children watched more TV in poorer families
where parents had little education. Boys were more likely
to watch than girls. Children who spent less time at home,
or watched with older children, especially in poorer homes,
were less likely to see educational television.
"Carers should limit exposure for the under-twos in favour
of other one-to-one language enhancing activities," she advised.
"Given the uncertainty within the literature, the cautious
guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which advises
strictly limiting the exposure of under-twos to television,
seems prudent."
The academy says it "does not recommend television for children
age two or younger" and for older children, no more than one
to two hours per day of educational, non-violent programmes.
(BBC News, 17 March 2004)
Toddlers should be banned from watching television because
it can stunt their development, literacy experts warn. Young
children become 'mesmerised' by the screen but cannot understand
what they are watching and even 'educational' shows such as
Teletubbies may cripple their language skills.
Speech experts believe many children get little opportunity
to develop their verbal skills by interacting with adults
and siblings. Now a report for the National Literacy Trust
has laid bare the apparent damage that watching television
can inflict. It points to evidence that preschool children
who watch shows aimed at a general audience have weaker language
skills.
The independent charity runs the Talk To Your Baby campaign,
which has received Government funding. Its latest report,
compiled by literacy expert Dr Robin Close, supports the advice
of the American Academy of Paediatrics that viewing should
be restricted among children under two.
There is growing concern that children's speaking skills
are at an all-time low. David Bell, head of education watchdog
Ofsted, has blamed lazy parents for using television as a
'babysitter.' Surveys suggest that two in five children under
four have a set in their bedrooms. And Alan Wells, director
of the Basic Skills Agency, sparked a furore when he said
young children talk in 'grunts'.
Dr Close says in her report that if children watch television,
an adult should supervise them, explain key words and discuss
the programme afterwards.
"Some evidence suggests that children under 22 months
are simply incapable of acquiring information from television,
or learning first words, and can only do so via interactions
with adults."
Her report, which draws on research by academics in Britain
and abroad, will be unveiled at the National Literacy Trust's
conference on Monday. James Law, professor of language and
communication sciences at City University, will tell delegates
that interaction between parent and child must come first.
"The idea that shoving a child in front of a television
is going to teach them anything beyond movement of sound and
light is silly," he said. "They get mesmerised by
it and it is too chaotic for them. Parents think that because
they may use the medium to learn about things, children can
take from it in the same way. But it takes a level of sophistication
that little children don't have."
He added: "Very young children need social interaction."
(Daily Mail, 13 March 2004)
Young children are not couch potatoes: watching television
is more likely to make them dance, sing and chatter to the
on-screen characters, a conference will be told next week.
TV is often cited as one of the reasons why children have
poor communications skills. But speakers at the event, organsied
by the early language campaign, Talk To Your Baby, will argue
that the medium can be a powerful way of helping children
become literate.
Anne Wood, co-creator of Teletubbies, said children
will immediately engage if a programme catches their interest.
"Four-year-olds will start jumping about, especially
with the Boohbahs," she said. The Boohbahs,
colourful magical atoms whose movement is stopped and started
by children saying the word "Boohbah", are
a new favourite on ITV.
Guidelines on teaching speaking and listening were issued
to all schools last term, and the Government has recently
commissioned a training programme for preschool practitioners.
David Bell, chief inspector, has said he is concerned that
the speaking skills of children are at an all-time low. At
the conference, researchers and programme-makers are to discuss
how TV can contribute to language development.
Dr Jackie Marsh of the University of Sheffield will relate
how she gave nursery children media boxes to take home, which
included a video of a TV programme, such as Teletubbies, and
a range of language games and reading material. She said:
"Children would talk about the TV programme and develop
play around the characters."
One box had dressing-up clothes so children could pretend
to be Tinky Winky, one of the Teletubbies. Children were asked
to write instructions to mend Noo Noo, the vacuum cleaner,
who had broken down. "Children at nursery were highly
motivated, particularly boys. It is about using TV effectively."
She also challenges the idea that watching TV is passive.
"We did a study in Sheffield and only one child out of
44 families sat passively in front of the TV. All the other
parents said children would be dancing, singing, talking to
the characters or playing with dolls. Children are not couch
potatoes."
Anne Wood said that TV is not comparable to a classroom,
and should not be treated as such. "Once you allow the
debate to become TV versus learning then you increase anxiety
to the point where support for the proper development of TV
dries up."
(Times Educational Supplement, 12 March 2004)
How much TV should your toddler watch? Is it OK to park your
two-year-old in front of the set for a few hours? Does it
matter if they prefer Tinky Winky to Peter Rabbit? A recent
raft of polls and surveys suggests that very young children
may be being harmed by too much goggling at the box, especially
if they are watching on their own.
Eighty-nine per cent of nursery staff, in a survey by the
charity I CAN, which helps children with speech and language
difficulties, were worried that those difficulties were on
the increase among pre-school children. The survey covered
only 120 workers, but was said by those in the profession
to reflect a growing concern. Lack of time spent talking to
children, the use of TV to pacify a child and the trend for
parents to talk on behalf of their child instead of letting
the child have a say were all blamed for the downward trend.
The education world was alerted to the problem when David
Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools, said that many children
led "disrupted and dishevelled" early lives and were too often
left in front of the television. Alan Wells, the director
of the Basic Skills Agency, stoked the fire. Attacking a culture
in which parents let children sit in front of the TV or computer
for hours, rather than talk to them, he complained that children's
conversational skills had declined to the level of a "daily
grunt".
Now, a digest of all recent research, compiled by the National
Literacy Trust, suggests that until we know more about how
much television is enough - and the effects of background
TV in particular - viewing should be kept to a minimum, especially
among the under-twos. Heavy viewers are more likely to be
linguistically under-developed, according to some of the evidence,
although a direct causal link hasn't been established.
"People have reported going into homes where the TV has been
on loudly all day - and talking opportunities are being missed
if that's the case," says the Trust's director, Neil McLelland.
"We're not as good as we should be at giving parents simple,
empowering skills. We should be getting across the pleasure
of, say, watching with your child, as well as the benefits".
Television viewing for the very young is best done with mum
- or dad - the digest suggests, but that isn't always happening.
This means that little ones are almost certainly tuning in
to bedroom scenes in 6pm soaps, or just watching pictures
and words that are too fast-paced or plainly unsuitable for
them. It isn't a good idea to have television sets in bedrooms,
either, says the digest. Yet an NOP survey in 2003 found that
one in three children under four has a TV in the bedroom.
Who is responsible for this state of affairs? Making instant
judgements about what or who is to blame is unhelpful, says
James Law, a professor in the language and communication science
at City University. "TV is not the villain of the piece,"
he says. "Very young children need social interaction, but
later on they can watch TV and learn from it."
But if there are homes where there is severe or complete
cultural impoverishment - not a book in sight - and outrageously
low expectations, there are also homes with impossibly high
ambitions for their offspring. Middle-class parents with very
high expectations may, by working long hours, lose touch with
the language development of their child. The ideal, says Professor
Law, is to find out where your child is on the language stepladder
and provide some "scaffolding" - giving them help to build
on what they know. That can be difficult if you're always
out and the nanny is Czech. As a result, a lot of worried
parents are buying books on how to teach children to read.
The TV executives taking part in a big conference next week
are used to the flak but are often bemused by it, arguing
that they can't take the postition of a parent or carer themselves,
whatever some people would like. "No programme-maker wants
anyone to watch their shows 24 hours a day," says Clare Elstow,
head of pre-school TV at CBBC. "People wouldn't leave toddlers
alone with other toys - why is TV any different? The viewing
experience is enhanced so much if it is accompanied." The
BBC's children's digital channel repeats its programmes in
four-hour blocks, so that parents can get out and about and
still catch favourite shows.
At this public-service end of the TV spectrum the programme-makers
take enormous trouble to ensure that their output does not
offend and that they are doing what they can to aid children's
development. Some are so committed that one wouldn't be surprised
if they read the whole of the foundation years curriculum
before breakfast. Anne Wood, co-creator of Teletubbies and
the founder of Rag Doll Productions, has three employees devoted
to visiting schools, working with parents, videoing children
watching the programmes and keeping in touch with 25 families
to monitor feedback.
Iain Lauchlan, the head of Tell Tale (Tweenies and Boo),
routinely consults a child education expert and a psychologist
before he sending off a script. Every programme has a "reason
for being", he says. Tweenies came about because he had noticed
children aged three to five watching soaps that were not aimed
at them. They wanted to have their own soaps. "Vicarious"
television watching is condemned in the digest compiled by
the National Literacy Trust. Now, says Lauchlan, this age
group can be entertained by the Tweenies - their peers - and
lock into the characters. "We can raise any issue - telling
lies, keeping up socially, dying," he says. "But it's not
overt."
When Wood created Teletubbies she wanted to tailor-make a
programme for the very young. The storm over whether Teletubbies
stunted children's educational development by having its characters
talk in baby language was partly about the fact that it replaced
another favourite - Playdays - and had the audacity to do
away with an adult explaining what was going on. That naturally
made it less appealing to some adults. Educationalists and
psychologists condemned the monosyllabic utterances of Tinky
Winky, Dipsy, Laa Laa and Po.
Wood has always defended the language in the programme. As
well as the teletubby voices, it had a narrator, nursery rhymes
and voice trumpets, with a variety of accents and languages.
In a re-run of these old battles, though, the Trust digest
questions the extent to which the under-twos understand the
content of Teletubbies, as opposed to being entertained by
it. Other research on this age group says that it is difficult
for toddlers to separate emotion (pleasure) from cognition
(knowing) so the digest's conclusion might be over-harsh.
Teletubbies has won some academic support. Jackie Marsh of
the University of Sheffield, who is speaking at next week's
conference, says the programme dovetails well with children's
need to build on what they already know. In other words, it
makes good use of repetition. Marsh ran a study on children
aged three and four in two inner-city nurseries in the north
of England, which showed up differences between parents' and
teachers' perceptions of the programme. The parents were positive
and the teachers more negative. But the teachers' views changed
when it was decided to organise Teletubbies activities in
the classroom. The teachers found that children they had categorised
as having problems with writing were enthusiastic when asked
to write about Teletubbies. One of the boys couldn't wait
to get to the writing table and once there wrote a number
of recipes for Tubby toast, Tubby burgers and Tubby pizza.
Almost every child talked about how the programme related
to their home lives, which was their favourite character,
and which videos they had.
This weaving of threads between children's home lives and
school is one way in which TV can be used to develop language
- and also literacy. For the National Literacy Trust, accentuating
the positive will be important in the battle to tame the monster
in the corner, because it wants parents to think about how
they use TV rather than to feel beleaguered and defensive.
All the same, it might be best not to buy that extra set for
the bedroom.
(The Independent, 11 March 2004)
You send them to school to learn to read, write and do sums.
But is that enough? No, say the experts. Today's children
also need to be taught another art - conversation.
In the past we thought that being a chatterbox was a vice.
Now it may be considered a virtue. Children as young as five
are to be given lessons in telling stories, disagreeing politely
and adapting conversations to suit the situation. Silence
is not necessarily golden - it can be burden.
"Talking is a pretty important life skill to have,"
says Sue Horner, Head of English for the Qualifications and
Curriculum Authority. No one would argue with that - but surely
talking, like walking, is something that comes naturally?
In fact studies have shown that babies learn to speak in the
same way the birds learn to sing - by interacting with their
mothers, not by just imitating them.
But today's parents use television as a babysitter rather
than talking to their children.
New evidence from the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation in
the US says that one in four American children under two has
a TV in their bedroom. And a study by nappy manufacturers
Pampers suggests we're heading down the same path. Four out
of 10 British children aged three and under now have TV sets
in their bedrooms.
But to help children speak the telly has to be turned off.
Liz Attenborough, of the Talk To Your Baby campaign, says:
"Young children need silence to hear language, time to
process it and the opportunity to speak it. These days there
is a lot of background noise from TVs and less talking. But
you can't interact with a TV or a computer game the way you
can with a person."
"There is growing evidence from teachers that children
are coming into schools with far fewer language skills than
previously. They don't have the vocabulary to make decisions.
If they're offered orange or apple juice, they won't know
which to pick - all they know is "drink".
"They're not used to conversation. They interrupt and
talk when they're not supposed to. Kids need language skills
to do well at school. If they don't have them, they fall behind
very quickly."
So what's the best way to get your child chatting?
Speech therapist Clare Geldard is services manager of children's
communication charity I CAN's Early Years programme. She says:
"Start showing your baby things as soon as it's born
- point out Mummy, Daddy, Grandad and the dog. Talk while
feeding, while changing nappies and when you go for a walk.
"Watch their eyes - see where they're looking and tell
them what they're seeing."
Attenborough adds that babies need to see parents' expressions
while they're talking.
"With old-fashioned prams you could walk along and talk
to your baby. They could see you and you could see them. With
modern buggies, babies can see a lot of the world but they
can't see you helping them to understand it."
As children get older and find their voices, says Geldard,
you can start helping them practise their new skills. Nursery
rhymes in particular are a good way to get kids involved.
"Rhyme, rhythm and repetition help children learn,"
she says. "Read the rhymes to your child and get them
to join in. A good way is to read the first line but leave
off the last word. Humpty Dumpty sat on the -what? They should
shout "wall".
"Even very young children who can't talk yet will enjoy
looking at books if you explain the pictures. Then you could
relate those pictures to real objects. "Look, there's
a dog. Is he like our dog? How is he different?"
"Or you could add actions. If you're reading The
Very Hungry Caterpillar eat and move the way he moves."
Geldard believes TV can be educational if it's used sparingly.
"Don't have it on all the time. Switch it on for a specific
programme, watch it with your child and turn it off once it's
finished."
"While you're watching, talk to your child about what's
going on. Ask questions and give him or her time to respond.
Refer to the programme afterwards. Perhaps something happened
to a character that has also happened to you or your child.
Get them talking about that."
Geldard and Attenborough agree that while limited teleivison
won't hurt, children learn far more from real people.
"There's nothing wrotong with TV, interactive toys or
computers," says Geldard. "All these things have
their place.
"But nothing can replace the parent, grandparent or
carer sitting down with a child. And there's nothing like
the wonderful feeling you get when your child starts to respond."
(Take-a-Break, 22 January 2004)
Disturbing new research claims we're raising a generation
of toddler telly addicts with some kids hooked on the box
by the age of two. This, the researchers say, could be stunting
both their speech and learning skills.
Many youngsters are left to watch TV or videos alone which
often teaches them very little because kids need interaction
with other people to fully develop their social skills. Researchers
in America discovered that while eight in 10 children read
or are read to for 50 minutes a day, the same proportion spend
almost two-and-a-half hours glued to the screen. There are
also concerns over obesity levels as toddlers become junior
couch potatoes.
But many beleive that if used responsibly, TV can be a useful
educational tool. Here, two sides of the toddler TV debate
put their views...
Yes - too much TV can harm you child
Liz Attenborough, Manager of the Talk To Your Baby campaign
Young children need someone to talk to them as they develop.
And they need someone to listen to them as they learn to speak
themselves. This doesn't happen sitting in front of the television.
Watching the box requires only a very small part of children's
brains - and it develops an equally small part.
Just the same as with your arms and legs, if you don't use
parts of your brain they won't develop properly. Research
suggests that children learn more in the first three years
of their life than at any other time. That's why it is vital
to use as much of the brain as possible at this time.
The fact is that watching TV is passive. A two-way exchange
between an adult and a child will use much more of their brain
- looking, thinking, reacting and responding, not just sitting
back and staring at a flickering screen. Unbelievably, some
children starting nursery appear never to have had a one-to-one
conversation with anyone at all.
British children's TV may be the best in the world but too
much is bad. TV and videos don't involve children actively
and too much slows development. The single most important
thing for a child's development is playing with parents.
There are many ways to keep young children happy - and one
of the simplest is taking the time to talk to them. Just like
walking, talking is something they must learn. And part of
talking means someone listening and talking back. They simply
can't get that with TV.
It's easy to entertain young children when the television
is off, even if only for a short time each day. Talk about
theirfavourite toys while you're playing. Talk about things
you're doing together, such as preparing a meal or unpacking
the shopping - and give them time to talk to you.
If given the time, even newborn babies make noises in response
to their parents speaking to them. It's never too soon to
talk to your baby. Start as soon as they're born and look
at them while you're talking. They learn to smile from imitating
you. And that's how they'll learn to talk.
Learning to communicate is one of the most important skills
a young child has to learn in their preschool years. Talking
and listening go a long way towards that and are fun for both
parent and child. Parents are their child's first and most
important teachers. So turn off the TV and give it a go.
No - TV isn't harmful
Paul Smith, Head of CBBC on air
Television is a window on the world for young children. For
many, it's their first glimpse of life outside the home and
as such is very valuable. And as far as preschool children
are concerned, almost all our programmes are about learning
through play. So even something like the Teletubbies - which
is aimed at very, very young children - is actually about
language development. The words the Teletubbies speak and
the noises they make are about persuading young children to
take their first steps with language.
It evolves to other areas of development with programmes
like the Tweenies, which is aimed at the next age group up.
This is about interaction with other human beings. It explores
a wide range of issues such as sharing and looking at different
cultures - things children might come across at nursery schools
and play groups. These programmes are very carefully thought
through to introduce children to new concepts and situations
that they may come across as they venture out of the home.
Clearly at this young age the concepts are simple and straightforward
but they are there to build on the experiences children have
had so far and hopefully extend their development much more
quickly. But it's important this is not the whole thing and
only part of their development.
Everything is new to young children and when they watch TV
they're often seeing something for the first time. But as
they get older there's a point where it's not so easy to engage
them, so you have to combine entertainment with education
and information in order to get those children to choose to
watch those shows.
There's absolutely no point in making an educational show
if nobody will watch it. When kids reach seven or eight they're
choosing what they want to watch. If they don't feel it's
interesting they won't stay with it- and they might go to
something else that isn't good for them.
These days telelvision is part of the real life of a child
and it's not necessarily a negative thing. In fact, we hope
it's a positive thing.
But reading, going to the theatre and cinema, interacting
with friends, parents and other people should all be part
of childhood, too. So integrating TV into childrens' experiences
is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't dominate them.
(Daily Mirror, 1 November 2003)
Parents who splash out on expensive hi-tech Christmas gifts
such as DVD players for pre-school children are stifling their
imagination and creativity, a children's charity warned in
December 2003. NCH Cymru said that the average child under
four spent nearly five hours a day watching television and
videos or playing computer games.
Spokesman Patrick Legge said parents might think they were
being generous, but in fact they were losing sight of what
young children needed and enjoyed, such as painting sets,
play costumes and traditional games and toys. He argued that
while technology was sometimes a useful educational tool,
it was no replacement for two-way interaction with adults
and other children, and that time, attention, encouragement
and "the freedom to play imaginatively" were the
most valuable gifts parents could give.
(Nursery World, 18 December 2003)
The Media Initiative for Children has developed an early
years initiative which aims to combine television advertisements
with interaction in pre-schools to help children aged three
to five to have a greater understanding of their physical,
racial and cultural differences. A pilot programme involving
children in ten pre-schools in Northern Ireland is running
alongside three 60-second television advertisements broadcast
in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland. Four animated
characters are seen playing in a park and the programme provides
opportunities for discussion around the basic feelings - happy,
sad, frightened and angry. The initiative has evolved from
research carried out in 2002 by Dr Paul Connolly of the University
of Ulster into the cultural and political awareness of children
aged three to six in Northern Ireland.
(Nursery World, 19 February 2004)
More than half of American children are hooked on television
by the age of two and master the use of a computer not long
after learning to walk, according to research.
68% of two-year-old children spend an average of 125 minutes
a day using a screen of one type or another, a nationwide
study by the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, a private group
devoted to promoting health, has found. "It's not just
teenagers who are wired up and tuned in, it's babies as well,"
Vicky Rideout of the foundation, said.
The report also proved what most parents know instinctively
- television watching is linked to reading skills. "These
findings definitely raise a red flag about the impact of television
on children's reading," Ms Rideout said.
59% of children under two watch television every day and
42% watch videos or DVDs. "These are astonishing data.
Today's pre-schoolers are starting to use media much younger
than we thought," Ellen Wartella, Dean of the College
of Communications at the University of Texas, said.
The report's authors offered parents a powerful tool to reduce
the effect of television on their children. Imposing rules
on how much they watch and what they watch, reduces consumption,
they found. Children whose parents set rules spent an average
of an hour a day watching compared with 90 minutes for those
whose parents did not. 10% of parents impose no restrictions
on what their children watch, and 21% have no rules on how
much time is spent watching television.
The study may also have underestimated the amount of television
watched as it was based on self-reporting by 1,065 parents
of children aged 6 months to six years who were interviewed
randomly by phone.
Some comfort could be found in the percentage of children
still reading or being read to - but these traditional activities
are less popular than their screen competitors. About eight
out of 10 children read or are read to for an average of 49
minutes a day, while 83% devote 142 minutes of the day to
screen media. The study exposed the connection between television
consumption and reading habits, showing that only 59% of children
who live in homes where the television is on constantly or
most of the time read every day.
Only about a quarter of children aged more than two in homes
where the television stays on are able to read, compared with
36% in the other category. However, the study found no causal
link between television watching and reading. More of the
children who could not read had parents without a college
education, indicating that the television may not be the cause.
American parents are overwhelmingly convinced of the benefits
of screen media for their children. 72% think that computers
are, on balance, helpful, and 43% regard the television as
mostly helpful.
Nearly two-thirds of the parents of four to six-year-olds
admitted that their sons had imitated aggressive behaviour
on television and 35% of daughters had shown the same tendency.
The authors urged parents who want their children to watch
less television to remove televisions from their bedrooms,
noting that more than a third of children under six have a
television by their bed and 27% have a video or DVD player.
Key statistics about TVs in America
- Only 1% of American children live in households without
a television
- Half of American households with children under 6 have
a videogame player, 73% have a home computer and twice as
many have internet access as have a newspaper subscription
- 66% of those under six live in homes where the television
is on at least half the time. In 36% of homes a set is on
almost constantly
- Children aged 4 to 6 are already proficient computer users
and spend slightly more than an hour a day at the terminal;
40% can load a CD-Rom
- Among children under three, 27% have used a computer without
a parent's help
(Times, 30 October 2003)
A third of children under four now have a television in their
bedrooms, a survey has found, and pre-school children typically
watch more than two hours of television a day. In the survey,
750 parents with children aged up to six were interviewed
by NOP for the Early Learning Centre, a toy retailer.
It found 86% of those children watched up to six hours of
television every day. 7% of youngsters watched more than six
hours a day, and an equal proportion never watched it. Parents
agreed that the children spent significant amounts of time
in front of the television, with 69% believing the youngsters
watched more programmes than they did at the same age.
The survey also found that 81% of under-sixes owned computer
games and more than a third of children aged five or six played
video games regularly.
But almost 60% of parents said their children spent more time
playing outside than they had as children. The survey found
they averaged 3.6 hours a day during the summer months.
(Independent, 3 September, 2003)
More than 75% of five to 16-year-olds have their own TV and
half have a video in their room, according to a survey by
research group Childwise.
Three out of four also own a mobile phone - the figure rising
to 82% of 11 to 16-year-olds - and most have a CD player.
Almost nine in ten children have access to a computer at home,
while a third have their own terminal. A decade ago, just
18% had a home PC.
Despite the growing number of distractions, children are
more aware of the world around them. The poll of 1,200 found
many sacrificed light-hearted TV programmes for current affairs,
with the September 11 attacks thought to be the catalyst.
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