Watching Television
Does watching TV affect the child’s development?
Should we not allow children to watch TV in order to remain healthy?
No, not necessarily. In addition, it is not necessary to prevent children from watching television so that they remain health and grow normally. However, it is necessary to set a specific time for allowing them to watch TV and remain committed to this schedule.
What is the effect of television on children?
Studies have shown that watching television or other media like YouTube too much, affects the number of hours of sleep of children (they sleep less), which affects negatively their health and affects their memory (they may have more difficulty to remember than other children).
What is the number of hours of watching TV recommended for children?
A child’s caregiver must stick to a specific number of hours, depending on the age of the child.
If the child between 6 and 9 years of age, the number of hours recommended per week is not more than 9 hours, approximately one and a quarter hours per day. The number of hours recommended for children under 6 years old is less than one hour per day.
What other ways are better to occupy a child?
We can replace watching TV with activities at home such as playing together, cooking together, jigsaw puzzles, singing and dancing … which shall also lead to strengthening the relationship between parents and children.
Useful articles or references:
Television viewing duration during childhood and long-term association with adolescent neuropsychological outcomes, O’Connor, G. et al., Prev. Med. Rep. (2016), pp. 447 – 452, 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.08.013
Hours of television viewing and sleep duration in children: A multicenter birth cohort study, Marinelli, M. et al., Jama Pediatr., (2014), 168 (5), pp. 458 – 464, doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.3861
