What Are the Dangers of Putting a Baby in Front of a TV?

Although the television can be a prevalent influence in the home, this engaging form of media entertainment often presents real dangers to small children. The endangerment and pull can be so significant that the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that children under age 2 should not watch television ̵1; ever.

  1. Brain Development

    • A baby̵7;s brain grows significantly in size during the first year of life, tripling in weight, states Healthy Children.org, an online service of the AAP. Accompanying this growth are important connections between brain cells. These connections depend on the types of and number of experiences a child has between birth and age 3, according to mother of two and pediatrician Wendy Sue Swanson, with the Seattle Children̵7;s Hospital. Any time a baby spends in front of a television will have an impact on the quality and number of brain cell connections.

    Reality

    • When an infant watches scenes on television, he does not understand what he̵7;s seeing on the screen. The difference between three-dimensional life in the real world and two-dimensional life on the screen is significant, especially for a baby who cannot process the differences. The overload of colors, shapes, sounds and images can also be confusing to infants.

    Violence

    • If parents tune the television to adult programming that contains complex images and graphic violence, the baby may receive negative exposure to these scenes. As much as two-thirds of all television programming contains some sort of violence, according to nurse Kyla Boyse and professor Brad Bushman, with the University of Michigan Health System. Repeated exposure to violence in the media reduces a child̵7;s sensitivity to violence and empathy to others.

    Background Television

    • When a family keeps the television on in the background throughout the day and evening, this can have an impact on a baby, warns the AAP in a piece published online in October 2012. Even television that does not contain harmful or frightening images can interfere with a child̵7;s cognitive development and social play. Although an infant may not seem to be focusing on the television, the sounds and images permeate her consciousness.

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