We All Scream for Screens: Even Toddlers!

Have you counted the number of screens in your house lately? TV screens, computer screens, cell phone screens, smartphone screens, IPod screens, tablet screens and so forth consume our environment these days. We walk around with our eyes focused on the small rectangles giving us information 24/7.

So, if they are everywhere, they must be okay for kids to watch, right? Well, yes and no. Here are a few facts to consider:

  • According to the AAP, kids in the United States see 40,000 commercials each year.
  • The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18.
  • Children under 2 spend twice as much time watching TV and videos as they do reading books. (Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America, Common Sense Media)
  • On average, the children who use computers started doing so at age 3 ½. (Common Sense Media, 2011)
  • The study found that fully half of children under 8 had access to a mobile device like a smartphone, a video iPod, or an iPad or other tablet.

We know that all screens aren’t bad. Children watch educational programming are learning, and adults need screens to keep us informed about the latest news. But here’s the trouble:

Ø  Many violent acts [on screen] are perpetrated by the "good guys," whom kids have been taught to admire. Even though kids are taught by their parents that it's not right to hit, television says it's OK to bite, hit, or kick if you're the good guy. This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong. And the "bad guys" on TV aren't always held responsible or punished for their actions.

Ø  Educational programming may not be harmful, but it isn’t likely to make your child that much smarter. In fact, in 2009, the Walt Disney Company began offering refunds for Baby Einstein products based on evidence that the products weren't educational.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Come up with a family TV [screen] schedule that you all agree upon each week. And make sure to turn off the TV [screens] when the "scheduled" program is over instead of surfing.
  2. Talk to kids about what they see on TV [screens] and share your own beliefs and values
  3. Set a good example by limiting your own TV [screen] viewing.
  4. Treat TV [screens] as a privilege to be earned — not a right. Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids' magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do something other than watch the tube.
  5. Don't turn TV [screens] into preschool. Baby TV hasn't proven to be of any benefit for school readiness. The best preparation for your children involves spending time with them, reading, talking, and exposing them to the world.

Here’s more of what to do – replace screen time with books!

  • Early literacy skills develop in real life settings through positive interactions with literacy materials and other people.
  • Formal instruction to require young children who are not developmentally ready to read is counterproductive and potentially damaging to children, who may begin to associate reading and books with failure.
  • The interactions that young children have with such literacy materials as books, paper, and crayons, and with the adults in their lives are the building blocks for language, reading and writing development.
  • Children’s reading scores improve dramatically when their parents are involved in helping them learn to read.
  • Children who are read to, or even read the same book repeatedly, are hearing enriched vocabulary and working on their fluency skills.
  • Children who are surrounded by books have longer attention spans, enhanced memory and higher levels of concentration.

 

I’m excited to be a part of the Children’s Museum because we recently were named the operating organization of the regional Children’s Book Bank. The Children’s Book Bank exists to provide free books to children in Central Virginia who can’t afford or do not have access to books of their own. If you are interested in learning more about the Children’s Book Bank, you can link to more information on the Children’s Museum website.

Remember: Family, home and community are the true drivers of a child’s education.

 

 

Media Tips for Babies and Toddlers, http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/media-tips-babies-and-toddlers

How TV Affects Your Child, http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html#

Early Literacy http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-language-iteracy/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdf

Children’s Museum of Richmond Book Bank http://www.c-mor.org/book-bank