Three separate studies published by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine suggests that too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn. The article says that in one study, involving nearly 400 northern California third-graders, those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs. A second study, looking at nearly 1,000 adults in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. A third study, based data on gathered from nearly 1,800 U.S. children, found that those who watched more than three hours of television daily before age 3 scored slightly worse on academic and intelligence tests at ages 6 and 7 than youngsters who watched less TV.
In our current political climate, the response might be to now pass a law limiting TV viewing in the home. Or maybe 26-year-olds will now start suing television companies for lowering their educational achievements? But, like all things in the market place, this study reveals that parents play a crucial role in mitigating technology in the home. The larger issue is not so much that television dumbs down children but the fact that what the market provides must be consumed with wisdom. What at home rules for kids work the best?
