As children grow and develop, they can easily be influenced by what they see and hear. While television programs can be educational, many children are exposed to television that is inappropriate for them. TV programs can show violent behavior or other alarming subject matte. TV may encourage poor eating habits with commercials for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Excessive TV watching can take away time from reading, studying, learning activities, play, and/or exercise. Studies indicate that excessive viewing of violent activity on television leads to increased violent activity by children and adolescents When a child sees alcohol and/or drug use, smoking, violence and sexual behavior before a child is emotionally ready to understand these issues, his/her adjustment may be adversely effected.
Parents can help decrease the harmful effects of television watching by screening the type of programming and limiting the amount of time a child watches television. The following are suggestions for setting good television viewing habits:
Choose programs for your child to watch. Always plan what your child will see on TV. Do not turn on the TV randomly. You may give choices between two programs you think are appropriate for your child.
Turn to educational shows from the local Public Broadcasting Station (PBS), or from programming such as Discovery Channel, Learning Channel, or History Channel.
Watch TV with your child. Talk about what happened on the show. Talk about what was good or what was bad about the program and the difference between reality and make-believe.
Turn the TV off if the program is something you believe your child should not see.
Do not assume all cartoons are acceptable and appropriate, as many cartoons contain violence.
Many daytime programs (such as soap operas and talk shows) are not appropriate for children.
Be a good example to your child by not watching too much television yourself. Be involved in other activities, especially reading. Read to your child.
Avoid using the TV as the child's "babysitter."
Encourage play and exercise for your child. Plan other fun activities for your child, so he/she has choices other than TV.
Limit using TV as a reward for good behavior. Instead, offer a trip to the park, a festival, playground, or a visit to a relative's/friend's house.
Do not watch TV during meal times.
