“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>In my effort to help my children learn good communication and problem-solving skills, I often find myself having discussions with them that are more in-depth than I would like.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>I have vowed not to use a phrase that I heard way too often when I was a child – “Because I said so!” However, it has been a challenge to refrain from saying those words, especially when the kids keep asking, “Why?”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>My soon to be 5-year-old son asked me recently if he could have a television in his room. For the twentieth time, I told him no. But not before I asked him why he needed a TV in his room. The key word for me is “need,” not want, because if you need something, you should have a good reason.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>He first tried to convince me that this was best for everyone in our home. He could watch a movie while I watch the news downstairs. He had other reasons, including my least favorite: his friends all had TVs in their rooms.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>I have been very firm about keeping TVs out of the kids’ rooms, and I’m quick to remind them that TV is linked to all sorts of problems in children, including worse performance in school, less physical activity, more obesity and less sleep.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics published guidelines regarding children, adolescents and television. The guidelines included:
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>No television viewing for children younger than 2 years old.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>No televisions in children’s bedrooms.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Limiting total TV and other media time to no more than 1-2 hours of quality programming each day.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Using alternative methods of entertainment such as reading, sports, hobbies, and creative play.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It’s been 10 years since these guidelines were published and many parents continue to allow their children to watch hours of TV each day, and nearly half of all children have TVs in their bedrooms.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A study of 48,687 children published in February 2011 found that 49.3 percent of American children had a TV in their bedroom. Blacks had the highest percentage of children with bedroom televisions with 71.3 percent, followed by Hispanic children with 56.3 percent.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Even after adjusting for the total amount of time viewing TV, having a TV in the bedroom was independently linked with more problematic social behaviors, being overweight, worse sleeping and less participation in extracurricular activities and community service.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It may be surprising that families whose income was at or below the poverty level were 56 percent more likely than families with the highest income to have televisions in their children’s bedroom.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In a prior study, the three most common reasons that parents gave for having TVs in their kids’ rooms were: 1) to keep kids busy while parents did household chores, 2) to help children sleep and 3) to free up other TVs.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Many parents report being unaware of the negative consequences on their children due to bedroom TVs. The negative effects associated with TVs in the bedrooms of children include:
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>worse academic
performance, lower standardized test scores
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>problematic social
behaviors, socially isolating behaviors
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>excess weight gain, less
physical activity
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>less participation in
activities at school and in the community
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>fewer family
meals
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>poor sleep and
insufficient sleep.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>There are several factors that contribute to the negative consequences of TV viewing in children and adolescents.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The radiofrequencies from TV can impact brain development and cause problems with attention. These can also change sleep patterns and reduce total sleep time and quality of sleep.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>When children are watching TV, they are not doing more active and meaningful activities such as reading, sports and playing with friends. These are important opportunities for physical activity and learning social skills.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Children are very vulnerable to the messages conveyed through TV programs. These messages affect their perceptions and behavior. Younger children often can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s just TV. Aggressive and violent behavior is common on TV (even in cartoons) and is associated with real-life aggressive behavior.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>There are other known – and possibly some unknown – consequences of TV viewing in children. For more information, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website at
“http://www.aap.org/family/smarttv.htm”>www.aap.org/family/smarttv.htm
