Pull the Plug! - Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children

Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children

Early television exposure is associated with attentional problems at age 7. Efforts to limit television viewing in early childhood may be warranted, and additional research is needed.

PEDIATRICS Vol. 113 No. 4 April 2004, pp. 708-713 pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/4/708

Association Between Television Viewing and Sleep Problems During Adolescence and Early Adulthood

A recent study showed that adolescents who watched 3 or more hours of television per day during adolescence were at a significantly elevated risk for frequent sleep problems by early adulthood. This elevation in risk remained significant after offspring age, sex, previous sleep problems, offspring psychiatric disorders, offspring neglect, parental educational level, parental annual income, and parental psychiatric symptoms were controlled statistically. Adolescents who reduced their television viewing from 1 hour or longer to less than 1 hour per day experienced a significant reduction in risk for subsequent sleep problems. Sleep problems during adolescence were not independently associated with subsequent television viewing when prior television viewing was controlled.

The researches concluded that extensive television viewing during adolescence may contribute to the development of sleep problems by early adulthood.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:562-568. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/158/6/562

The following are some parental suggestions to limit T.V. watching:

1. Reduce the time spent watching television; it is obvious that less is better. Anything over 2 hours a day is dangerous.
2. Avoid TV before bed
3. Keep the TV’s out of children’s bedrooms.
4. Engage children in other activities, hobbies, crafts, readings and outings
5. Watch with your children and screen for violence
6. When implied violence is encountered, discuss its emotional effect with your children
7. When violence is encountered use it as an educational tool—a springboard for moral and ethical discussions
8. Use commercials to educate children on healthy eating and the contents of some advertised foods. This is also an opportunity to teach children to be conscious consumers by discussing the tactics of advertising.
9. Try to encourage movement during watching, i.e. sit on the floor or on an exercise ball, lift hand weights etc… use TV as a stretching opportunity. Be creative!!!
10. Avoid just sitting and exploring the channels… this can lead to hours of TV babble while not really watching anything.
11. Pre-frame a show to stimulate retention
12. Mute or turn off commercials—they are noticeably louder than the program to hold your attention

References:

1. Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997
2. Nielsen Media research, 2000
3. Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M. Television Addiction is No Mere metaphor. Sci Am. Feb. 23, 2003
4. Hofferth SL. Healthy Environment, Healthy Children. A Report on the 1997 Study of Income Dynamics, Child Development Supplement. University of Michigan Press; 1998
   Committee on Public Education, Children, Adolescents and Television. Pediatrics. 2001;107(2):423-426
5. Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997 pp.23. Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M. Television Addiction is No Mere metaphor. Sci Am. Feb. 23, 2003
6. Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M. Television Addiction is No Mere metaphor. Sci Am. Feb. 23, 2003
7. Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997 pp.25-27, 75. Ibid; pp.46
8. Ishida S, Yamashita Y, et al. Photosensitive seizures provoked while viewing “pocket monsters,” a made-for-television animation program in Japan. Epilepsia. 1998;39(12):1340-4
9. Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997 pp.9. Christakis D. Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children. Pediatrics. 2004;113(4)708-713
10. Macbeth Williams T, The Impact of Television, Orlando, Florida. Academic Press; 1986. Ozmert E, Toyran M, Yurdakok K. Behavioural Correlates of Television Viewing in Primary School Children Evaluated by the Child Behaviour Checklist. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2002:156(9)
11. Barber B. Harper’s. 1993; Nov.41
12. Nielsen, 2000
13. Kalmas AD, Gruber ML. Electrodermal Responses to Implied Versus Actual Violence on Television. J Gen Psychol. 1998;125(1):31-37
14. Thomas MH, Horton RW, Lippincott EC, et al. Desensitization to Portrayals of Real-Life Aggression as a Function of Exposure to Television Violence. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1997;35(6):450-458

This article appeared in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #04.

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