How Does Television Affect the Brains of Young Children?

Television saturates the environment of many children today, affecting their brains in significant ways. A study published in ̶0;American Behavioral Scientist," a peer-reviewed journal, found 35 percent of children lived in homes with a television on day and night, whether anyone was watching it or not. Television has moved far beyond the home environment during the past decade. Automobiles, waiting rooms and grocery stores are just a few places that often have televisions on, contributing to a near constant background television noise for some young children.

  1. Brain Structure

    • ̶0;The types and intensity of visual and auditory experiences that children have early in life therefore may have profound influences on brain development,̶1; according to an article published in ̶0;Pediatrics,̶1; an American Academy of Pediatrics publication. The early years of childhood are a period of rapid development in brain structure and function. Neurons, synapses and dendrites increase rapidly during this period. These structural elements of the brain are an essential part of learning and memory, as explained in ̶0;The Brain: Our Sense of Self,̶1; a National Institutes of Health publication. Social, mental and physical activities promote better structural growth than do passive activities, like watching television.

    Language Development

    • ̶0;The more time your infant or toddler spends listening to the television, the less likely he is to hear your voice or to speak himself,̶1; reported ABC News on June 2, 2009, citing a study published in ̶0;Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.̶1; According to the University of Rochester, the first few years of life a critical period in language acquisition. That is one reasons that there is such a rapid expansion of dendrites and other elements of brain structure during those early years. Research published by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that television exposure during infancy and early childhood can be disruptive to ̶0;critical periods of synaptic development,̶1; potentially impacting language development and other cognitive processes.

    Attention Problems

    • The American Academy of Pediatrics' decision to recommend no television for children two years of age and under was strongly influenced by the results of studies published in their publication, ̶0;Pediatrics̶1; in 2004. Researchers found significant evidence that ̶0;early television exposure is associated with attentional problems at age 7.̶1; The fast scene cuts, quick action, pulsing lights and commercial interruptions are some of the factors that contribute to low attention spans, as they train the brain to function in short bursts of focus, rather than the sort of longer periods of concentration necessary for more complex learning.

    Decreased Mathematics Success

    • According to a May 8, 2010, ̶0;Science Daily̶1; article, citing results of a study performed by researchers from the University of Michigan, the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center and the Université de Montréal, toddlers exposed to television can experience a measurable decrease in mathematics success. The study found that ̶0;every additional hour of TV exposure among toddlers corresponded to a future decrease in classroom engagement and success at math.̶1; The lower quality of brain structure development, including dendrites, synapses and neurons, that television viewing offers, as compared to more socially, physically and mentally active experiences, may contribute to this decrease in math learning success. Limiting television as directed by the American Academy of Pediatrics can be an important part of academic and social success.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • Parent Involvement Activities
      If you strive for a close bond and good deal of involvement in your childs life, you are not alone. Many parents realize the importance of being involved in their childrens lives, but may not necessarily know how to go about it. One strategy is to ch
    • Free and Fun Teen Leadership Activities
      Teens require fun and free activities that build their leadership skills. Teens learn leadership skills from organizing activities, using their creative thinking abilities and through delegation. Learning and practicing these skills provides a teen w
    • Types of Behavior Problems
      Children and teenagers can experience a variety of behavior problems over the course of their development. As children grown into teenagers, the behavior problems can intensify and become worse if not properly dealt with. Other behavior problems may