Toddlers Glued to Tube, Study Says

Agape Press ^ | 1/6/03 | Jason Collum

[truthandlife]

A recent study reveals that a large majority of young kids are spending a significant amount of time in front of electronic media -- and experts aren't sure what the long-term effects of that habit will be.

The study, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that 68% of children age two and under spend an average of two hours a day either in front of the TV, the computer, or playing video games.

Click for a larger version of this chart

"We don't know the long-term consequences of such early media use, particularly electronic media use, on children's development," said study co-author Ellen Wartella, dean of the College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin.

Such obsession with electronic media has been linked by previous studies to obesity and poorer reading ability, and some groups worry that kids are negatively influenced by the violence, sexual content, and substance abuse so prevalent on TV.

In an interview with USA Today, Wartella did not make those links to television, but did state that the study results should be a "wake-up call that we better do some studies to find out the impact of such early screen viewing. It's not just a few kids who are doing this. It's a lot."

---

[LibWhacker]

I thought this was a story about some kind of horrible child abuse.

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[rightwingmomX2]

First of all I would like to know how many two year-olds know how to use a computer or play a video game. Second of all (as a mother of a 2 year-old and 3 year-old children) I do not know ANY 2 year-old that would sit for 10 minutes never mind 2 hours a day. If I could get my kids to sit in front of the tv for 30 minutes I would be in heaven. This study seems very suspicious.

[theDentist]

Alternate headline: Money Wasted to Reach Obvious Conclusion"

[Tax-chick]

I do not know ANY 2 year-old that would sit for 10 minutes never mind 2 hours a day.

If a video is on for 30 minutes, my 2-year-old is probably in the room 5 minutes! Climbing onto the kitchen table is much more amusing ...

But he's learned to count and distinguish colors (accurately!) from watching our 3-1/2 yo play "How Many Bugs In a Box?", without watching more than a minute or two at a time.

[RandallFlagg]

And on that note, I can site every single word from every single episode of "Blue's Clues"




please, someone kill me now.

[Physicist]

Whenever I express reservations about the amount of time my kids spend watching TV, my mother reminds me that my siblings and I spent a large portion of our childhoods parked in front of the Electronic Babysitter, and it didn't do us any harm. Nature will out.

[Tax-chick]

And every song in every Veggie Tale ... it's frightening to think that all this will be locked away in my brain for the rest of my natural life ...

[RandallFlagg]

And as an eerie humming came out of their coffins:
--"We gotta find the last pawprint...."--

[Iron Eagle]

Get out your "handy-dandy notebooks." We have the last clue.

Mystery solved -- kids watch TV!! my 4 and 2 year-old always want to watch something, but they have about a ten-minute attention span.

I will say this though, both of those kids were mesmerized by baby mozart. Some yuppie bought it for us. Of course, desiring a smart child, like most parents, we gave it a shot. I have no idea if those two will be smarter, but my wife and I enjoyed many a quite 30 minute dinners together as those kids sat in bouncy seats and cooed at that ridiculous home video. (Mom who started that bogus line sold it to Disney for 500 Million Dollars. -- That's right, 500 million dollars. She shot it with a camcorder. Spent 15K to upgrade quality. That's not a bad return). Her kids may not be smart, but her mom is one smart and rich lady.

[egarvue]

Hate to say it, but my daughter was able to play games on the computer when she was two, by three she was able to change CD's and was savvy enough if the program didn't autorun to go to "My Computer", navigate to the D:\ drive, and get the program she wanted up and running. Like any good parent, I limit her time, but I wouldn't underestimate today's kids. They're growing up in a world of computers and technology; they'll never know what life was like before the personal computer and the Internet.

[Looking for Diogenes]

First of all I would like to know how many two year-olds.... This study seems very suspicious.

While the title says 'toddlers' the body of the article indicates they are studying children 6 and under. I can confirm that five years can easily spend two hours watching TV.

Driving the local freeways I'm surprised by how many vehicles have TV screens hanging from the ceilings for the back seat. Obviously it is the kids who are watching.

[Little Ray]

It is...

[RandallFlagg]

Heh! I have that beat. I have two VCRs for dubbing out commercials from news and movies. I got a blank tape in the bottom (receiver) VCR and played over and over, "Baby Mozart, Bach, etc." for an entire eight hours on the top VCR. Perfect for keeping the little ones occupied while I can cook a big meal.

[Aquinasfan]

Hate to say it, but my daughter was able to play games on the computer when she was two, by three she was able to change CD's and was savvy enough if the program didn't autorun to go to "My Computer", navigate to the D:\ drive, and get the program she wanted up and running.

We cut our 2.5 year old off of the computer for a time when she went to the back door one day, reached for the handle and said, "Momma, click on door!"

[finnman69]

FRUIT SALAD!
YUMMY YUMMY!

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Triple Word Score]

My son was using a computer at age 2. He was reading at two, though. Even when he was an infant he was very attentive to books. My daughters could both use a keyboard and mouse by age 3. They're all doing well in school.

I have computer programs for toddlers; my kids have outgrown them. They're darling. They call them "Lapware" because even 6-12 month olds can use them on a parent's lap. They learn quickly that tapping keys and moving the mouse makes things happen, and the game rewards them for following instructions, so they get adept very fast. My son was writing stories in Kidpix Studio and Amazing Writing Machine when he was 3. (That may be the best kids' computer program ever...picture a kid-friendly Adobe Photoshop, but with sounds and really fun tools.)

FReepmail me if you're interested and I'll mail what I have to you. Don't know if they work with newer editions of WINDOWS. They're a little worse for wear because I gave "CD changing" privileges a little sooner than I probably should have, but I think they all work. I don't have documentation anymore but you won't need it, I think. You may need to download some patches.

I agree that we don't know enough about how this stuff affects a child's brain in huge doses. An hour or two a day at most seems sensible. Otherwise, kids should be exploring the world in more physical ways. There's no way to give them enough freedom, like we had when we were kids, since our justice system just won't take out the bad guys.

[Gabz]

Such obsession with electronic media has been linked by previous studies to obesity and poorer reading ability,

OH PULEEEEEEEEZE.

My kindergartener is in 1st grade advanced reading. We finally built her her own computer when she was 3 because she kept hogging mommy or daddy's. She discovered all by herself the children's games on some of my gaming cds and discovered that she preferred the reading and arithmetic ones.

She received an electric keyboard for Christmas and she spent most of Christmas vacation trying to teach mommy how to read the book teaching the reading of music.

If that is what happens by allowing age appropriate programming on television or other electronic media - I say go for it.

And BTW, she discovered the kids oriented programming on the Christian channel all by heerself and immediately asks to change the channel to it when she gets home from school in the afternoon. I'm going to say no????

[dfwgator]

And on that note, I can site every single word from every single episode of "Blue's Clues"

At least it isn't Barney.

[STFrancis]

Wake up JEFF!!!!

You just had to type this didn't you...???

We can do anything...because we're really SMART!!!

Anyone watching that show.. Has that line ever bothered you...???

[spunkets]

"experts aren't sure what the long-term effects of that habit will be."

They aren't experts then.

[agrarianlady]

My little girls are 2.5 and 4. I wish they played outside but they rarely see the outdoors unless we go out somewhere in the car. I keep asking my husband to help me with getting a fence for our yard (It's nice - 3/4 acre) but he just says 'You're never happy, are you?'.

I don't like taking them outside because I have to stand the whole time and I have sciatica.

Needless to say, they are still imaginative and well-developed but do watch a lot of DVDs and videos and play educational games.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Can you point your fingers and do the twist?
Can you point your fingers and do the twist?
Well, we gonna go up
and get down
Get back up and
turn around
Can you point your fingers and do the twist?

---

Not a day goes by that I don't have a Wiggles, VeggieTales, JoJo Circus, or Blue's Clues song stuck in my head.

Enough to drive me batty at times.

[Yaelle]

Yep -- I flew to Europe several years ago with my then 8 and 2 year olds. I caved and bought my 8-year-old a game boy for the long flight. Well, that two-year-old went nuts while in Europe dying to play his big brother's game. Pretty soon, he knew how to operate the whole thing, and just had to ask for help when words came on.

They were not allowed to play it all the time, but any youngster with a big sister or brother will pick this stuff up quickly because what they want to do more than anything in the world is what their big siblings do.

[finnman69]

I'm Caaaaaaaaaiiiiiiilllou!

[agrarianlady]

Caillou is banned around here and in other households I know. He's a B-R-A-T for sure.

[dead]

The voice of Calliou was killed in a car wreck a few months ago. She was a nineteen year old girl heading to college.

It was the same week or so that the voice of Clifford the Big Red Dog (John Ritter) and the voice of Luna (from Bear and the Big Blue House) died.

I suspect the voice of Pooh, but have no evidence to back that up.

[egarvue]

Caillou (what the heck kind of new age hippy name is that?) is off our dial as well. We also ban the Rug Rats, and any other show where the kids get to be brats without negative consequences.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

*shudder*

I actually enjoy DragonTales though, strangely enough

[truthandlife]

Mom who started that bogus line sold it to Disney for 500 Million Dollars.

Actually it is reported that Disney acquired Baby Einstein on Nov. 22, 2002 in an all-cash, confidential transaction was worth a reported $25 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. As part of the Disney acquisition, Clark and Aigner-Clark (company founders) will remain active with the company on a consulting basis. Not bad for company that started with just $5,000 in 1997 in a basement. ( http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2002/03/04/focus9.html )

In 2000, Baby Einstein reported sales of $10 million; 2001 sales ranged between $25 million and $30 million.

Disney has taken it to another level with their large media presence.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

same here.

Also anything on Disney that promotes liberal agenda, like The Proud Family

[Jhensy]

Mr. Noodle passed away last year as well.

[cruiserman]

I spend a lot more time "using screen media" now than I did as a youth, that's for sure.

[cruiserman]

I don't like DT much, but Reading Rainbow is pretty good. I found out what shows my son was watching when I took a week off at Christmas. Some are decent.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

The way I see it, if she can learn something constructive from it, then it's not all that bad.

There's a lot of garbage out there, but you're right...there are some decent ones as well.

[petitfour]

Fruit salad. Yummy yummy

[Palladin]

That's the part of the report I don't believe...that today's kids spend 2 hours a day playing outdoors.

I lived opposite a daycare center for several years, and those kids came out to play for 1/2 hour, tops.

In my new neighborhood, I never see the kids playing outdoors. I'm sure I spend more hours out in the fresh air and sunshine than they do.

OK (here we go)...when I was a kid (back when the earth was cooling) we were otside all the time. We only went in when we were hungry, or had to use the bathroom.

We had dozens of outdoor games: the girls jumped rope, played "Potsy", played games with "pinkies" (these were pink rubber balls), or wheeled their doll buggies up and down.

The boys played "Ring-a-Levio", "King of the Hill", stickball, punchball, touch football; or rollerskated and rode bikes.

It makes me sad that many kids no longer enjoy these freeform, unorganized outdoor activities.

[finnman69]

Ever see Between the Lions? Vowel boot Camp and others are pretty good.

[finnman69]

Caillou (what the heck kind of new age hippy name is that?)

Caillou is originally a....French...cartoon.

[Lady Eileen]

bttt

[cspackler]

Hate to say it, but my daughter was able to play games on the computer when she was two...

Ditto to everything you said. My daughter was on the same schedule that you just mentioned. She's 4.5 now, loves computer activity games, doesn't play them every day, though. Maybe two or three times a week. I think I caught her de-fragging my hard drive last week...

[Wolfie]

Duct tape would be easier to clean up after.

[cupcakes]

My hubby built our fence last year and it is wonderful. Perhaps your husband does not understand that the kids aren't going out much. My husband wanted the kids to have lots of outdoor time, but we backed up to a road that was busy enough to not want the kids idly walking into it and I didn't really want to spend hours outside monitoring the children. We put the fence up and I have my craft room overlooking the backyard. The kids play out there for hours in the summer and I do some crafting, housework, and hang out with them. His next task is to find the wasp nest out there and get rid of it. My son got stung a few times last year.

Oh, and mine are 5, 3, and newborn in May. I love having that fence up and the kids love having the freedom to explore.

[cupcakes]

Ugh, he whines like a girl. I can't stand Caillou.

[cupcakes]

I got an idea for you, check the backyards. Most of the kids in my neighborhood play in their fenced backyard and sometimes around dinner you'll find them out front playing basketball or riding bikes. Look, when my husband was a child, he was out doing all kinds of exploring at about age 4. I don't know anyone who considers themselves a responsible parent in this day and age who would let their 4 year old explore their neighborhood the way my husband did in the mid-60's at the same age. There were more kids out,but also less cars, more eyeballs watching the kids since more moms were home, and the sickos knew to keep their distance for the most part because they knew there were more eyeballs on the kids. Nowadays, the same can't be said.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Ain't that the truth!! Caillou is nothing but a whiny, spoiled BRAT who needs a good-old fashioned butt spanking!

Remember the good old days when boys were boys? Caillou is a French name, which explains the behavior.

[agrarianlady]

Thank you for the encouragement. My husband called today and said he had called 4 companies and one is coming out tomorrow for an estimate on a fence! Woo hoo! Also, my next-door-neighbor (I called her today) is going to in on it with us so we'll be sharing the same style. And, *she's* also calling and getting another estimator who is coming tomorrow.

I'm glad I saw this thread today. One needs motivation to make changes. I can't stand having kids cooped up in the house.

I grew up on a farm. I played with cousins and siblings. Endless hours of badminton, softball, adventures, bike riding!

We had 2 channels on the tely. If they were fuzzy, we'd line 5 of us up. One to watch the tv, one to yell out the window, two to stand outside and finally my Dad who was up a ladder in the woods adjusting the antenna. The antenna was 100 yards from the house so we had to *yell* up the line "Is it better?" "Still fuzzy!" "Better Now" "Stop!"

I guess I've been feeling sorry for myself that we live in the suburbs. That's what you get when you marry a city boy.

But, I made him move to a house that backs to a 50-acre nature park thingy with walking trails ;-) I can't wait to make leaf scrapbooks and do some bird watching with the children. Probably silly but I'm looking forward to it.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Fruit salad. Yummy yummy

Great!

Thanks for starting my day with that song! Now I'll be cursed...humming it until this afternoon when I can listen to something else! lol