Children and Entertainment

I had planned to write today about greed in all its forms, from corporate greed to political greed to monetary greed etcetera and how we might combat its growing impact on our society.  As I was formulating my thoughts and skimming through today's news stories, I stumbled upon an article that, at least to me, has more immediate relevance.  The relevance may not affect everyone, especially those without children, but it definitely affects me and regardless of its impact, its an interesting topic that can be debated amongst parents for months on end.  So what is this topic I talk about?  It is the uselessness of TV or any other form of "screen" (computer, iPad, iPhone, etc.) to entertain or keep occupied children under the age of 2.  Despite the fact that for every hour a child under 2 spends in front of the TV they will spend 50 minutes less interacting with adults, there is no educational benefit.  For children under the age of two, regardless of the program they are watching, they are simply too young to understand what is happening on the screen.  In a survey, 90% of parents said their children under 2 watched some form of media, whether it be on TV or smart phone.   The only way to truly start teaching children and expanding their base of knowledge is through personal interaction.  The more time that parents spend actively engage with their children, especially when it comes to language, the more apt those children will be to produce more language of their own as they grow.  Nothing beats human interaction or learning and growth.  To check out the full article, click here.

When I was younger, I watched TV myself.  Obviously I don't remember anything from those first couple years of my life, but when I was being watched by my grandmother, there was one show I enjoyed watching and it was the only one I was allowed to watch on a daily basis.  That show was the original Sesame Street.  Aside from that, my grandmother kept me occupied with a slew of other activities which I remember in much more detail than any show I watched during that time.  One of my favorite activities when I was little was  building a house out of a refrigerator box.  From cutting out the windows and doors, to attaching a chimney, to drawing bricks around the whole exterior of my little house, I was much more actively involved than I ever was in front of the TV.  I remember Lincoln Logs and Erector Sets and the time spent assembling different contraptions.  I remember building forts out of kitchen tables, chairs, and sheets.  I remember climbing trees outside.  I remember drawing on the hot pavement with water and watching it evaporate.  I do not remember any content that was shown on Sesame Street.  I do not remember any other show I may have watched and forgot about.  How a child is raised has an enormous impact on how they will learn and develop throughout their life.  If they are engaged with others from an early age, allowed to explore their abilities and talents, and urged to solve real life problems on their own (like how to cut windows in a cardboard house), then they will gain valuable real life experience and will have less trouble when it comes to more pressing issues like learning in school, and dealing with other children. 

TV, for all its claims to help in teaching children, has consistently fallen short of the mark.  It takes longer for a child to learn something via media and it is far less effective.  I know that these days it is harder and harder for parents to take an active role in their child's life because of the current economic situation and the pressing need most times for both parents to work.  However, at what cost do we put our children consistently in front of the TV?  Does it make it easier sometimes for us to get other things done around the house?  Absolutely, there is no denying that.  But what about putting the child in the same room as you are, turning off the TV and simply talking to your child, regardless of whether or not they can respond to you.  The more a child hears the voice of his/her parents, the more language skills they will gain and the more interactive they will be later.  Even if you can't talk to your child because they are sleeping or you need to be on the phone, what about a little classical music instead of the TV?  Classical music has been shown to help in brain development and cognitive learning abilities, yet so few people recognize the importance of it.  It seems to me that what this all boils down to is what is easiest for the parents.  Even I recognize the fact that it is easier to plop a child in front of the TV in hopes of keeping them occupied than personally interacting with them.  But what is better, the easier or the harder route.  No one ever said that parenting was easy and it shouldn't be.  Parents are responsible for the development of their child and as such, need to take more active roles in ensuring that the development of their child is not based on TV and other media sources. 

I for one plan on taking as active a role as possible in the life of my son.  Will I be able to be there every second of every day?  No, that is quite unrealistic.  But when it comes to his development, I will do everything in my power to ensure that he receives as much of my attention as possible.  I want him to be able to learn by doing, to experience the world first hand, not second hand as portrayed through the TV.  I want him to flourish creatively and be able to push the boundaries of his imagination.  I would like him to want to play with Lincoln Logs (or their current equivalent) instead of wanting to watch TV.  Are these lofty goals?  I don't think so.  I think that they are attainable and know that as long as I set my mind to spending time with my son every day, then these goals can be met.  For the other parents out there, how do you attend to your children?  I am not here to judge anyone or put anyone down for their actions, I am here simply to push the envelope and perhaps increase awareness about the importance of one to one interaction with young children.  That being said, don't waste a day, don't plan to start anything tomorrow.  The present is all we are guaranteed, nothing more.  The world could end tomorrow (not that I think it will) so take advantage of every moment you have with your child, I know I will.