looking for articles on tv and children

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  • April 21, 2011 at 2:21 pm
    alice
    Participant

    Hi ladies- I’m looking for some good articles online that talk about the affect of tv and computer time on children.  I’ve been limiting our viewing for the kids.  Actually I’m wanting to reduce it pretty drastically, and I want to show my dh some info on why it’s best for the kids.  I’ve done some searching online, but can’t seem to find what I’m looking for.

    Thanks so much~

    April 21, 2011 at 2:46 pm
    NoeMom
    Participant

    I have not done a lot of research because we have never had a television in our home in 26 years of marriage, but this website looks to have a lot of good information:

    http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/television/tv_impact_kids.cfm

    There are also some great books out there such as Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman.

    April 21, 2011 at 5:47 pm
    alice
    Participant

    Thank you…I’ll start there!

    April 21, 2011 at 7:11 pm
    srlord
    Participant

    Here are some I have bookmarked:

    http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3B107/2/423

    http://www.aap.org/family/smarttv.htm

    http://aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+and+TV+Violence&section=Facts+for+Families

    http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_watching_tv

    http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html#a_Violence

    http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm

    I believe the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry have more articles and research studies, but the ones above are the only ones I have saved.  The University of Michigan study is also very helpful.  There is some repetition between articles/studies.

    Hope this helps!

    Stephanie

    April 22, 2011 at 12:22 am
    Doug Smith
    Keymaster

    I don’t tend to lump TV and computer time into the same category unless it’s totally mindless computer time. For a different take on beneficial computer time you might like one of our previous discussions on that topic:

    http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/teens-computer-usage

    April 22, 2011 at 12:47 am
    alice
    Participant

    When I mentioned computer time, it was in the form of games or watching a movie on there.  My kids are too young to really use a computer for any other purpose.  My oldest is only 7.  But thank you for the link,,,I’ll take a look at it!

    April 22, 2011 at 12:57 am
    Polly
    Participant

    There is a book out on healing ADD, called Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD.  It shows brain scans from watching too much television and spending a lot of time on the computer.  The damage to the brain is pretty amazing.  Another book, I’m sorry I don’t remember what it is called, stated that the fast images and pixilation of computers and t.v. + the huge amount of time we spend on them = a society that is only able to think with the right side of the brain.  That is scary!  Sorry I don’t remember the book title.  Focus on the Family did a program on that years ago.  

    April 22, 2011 at 10:15 am
    easybrizy
    Participant

    Pollysoup, I find your post interesting because I was just talking with my husband about this topic. My husband has heard research (but can’t remember the source, either) that says it’s not JUST about the content on TV. He says he’s heard that even if you’re watching great, educational TV it can still be a problem because of the reasons you mentioned. Fast images, pixilation, etc, combined with too much time=damage to the brain. Interesting, huh?

    It’s really easy to find info about how watching TV with violent or negative content affects our children (and ourselves). It’s also easy to find research that says those under 2 shouldn’t watch TV at all and that older children should watch limited amounts of good content. But I’d really like to find the research that says it’s the images and the way our brain read them specifically that can be bad for us.

    What would it mean (and practically look like) to be only thinking with the right side of your brain?

    April 22, 2011 at 10:50 am
    easybrizy
    Participant

    Found a great article:

    http://www.consciouslyparenting.com/articles/article_tv.php

    It’s pretty long and it talks about evolution, but there is still quite a bit of great info in it.

    April 22, 2011 at 12:15 pm
    alice
    Participant

    Easybrizy – There is a book called The Plug In Drug by Marie Winn.  It’s just like your husband said.  Content isn’t the issue, but rather the act of watching TV.  I have read it agree 100% with it.  The reason I started this thread was so I could have something small for my dh to read.  He’s in the process of completing his school for getting his PhD and working full time on top of that.  I didn’t want to give him a book to read on top of everything else he’s busy with.  I was looking for something short he could easily read.  If anyone is interested in the affect TV has on your brain, I HIGHLY recommend this book!! 
    Thanks so much for the link!

    April 22, 2011 at 2:55 pm
    easybrizy
    Participant

    Thank you! I found it at my library and put it on hold. Excellent.

    April 22, 2011 at 3:05 pm
    alice
    Participant

    Let me know what you think of it!

    April 22, 2011 at 3:55 pm
    houseofchaos
    Participant

    Pollysoup and alice  – I’ve never read either of the books, but I definitely agree with what you’re saying.  I’ve seen how mindless my son (and several of our other children; he is just the oldest and was exposed to the most in the past) becomes if allowed too much tv/computer time – even educational.  And “too much” around here isn’t a lot – believe me.
    I do find people that spend a lot of time in front of their televisions and computers difficult to communicate with.  And it’s not just because I don’t know what is happening on the television programs either….. it’s like they’re disconnected on some level with reality.

    Interesting.

    May 2, 2011 at 11:15 pm
    leann_in_TX
    Member

    I found an older version of the Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease at the library this week and was reading through it, since I’ve seen the book reccommended so often. He has a chapter on the significant link between lots of TV time and poor reading and academic ability. My husband and I haven’t had a TV since we married, and have been very happy with that, but Trelease takes the view that it has its uses but needs to be limited.  I found an article of his here: http://teachers.net/gazette/FEB02/trelease.html that makes some of the same points as the book. I had never heard of Ben Carson, whom he talks about here, but I thought it was an interesting story.

    Trelease’s view might be good motivation for those who are not ready to get rid of the TV set but recognize the problem.

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