There was a study done a few years ago re ADD and they learned that when kids spend a lot of time in front of the tv/pc/video games...there is a part of the brain which shuts down. the brain is entertained without having to do much work on its own. Taking the tv away resulted in improved behavior after a week or so. The article did warn parents who reduced or eliminated tv etc to be prepared for the kids saying "I'm bored" for a few days until their brain adjusted to the lack of visual stimulation. LOL
Um, guess what I have noticed that the more time I spend on the computer the more ADD I become. It isn't just kids. I have noticed the difficulty in concentration mostly in reading. Not good at all lol.
We took the TV away from our 3.5 year old after we learned about this in May. He was difficult to deal with for a week or two. He was having a hard time because he had not learned how to "play". It took several weeks for him to get acquainted with the toys in his toy box. One day he actually sat down with an ABC board that I bought when he was very small. Within a few weeks he was teaching himself the sounds that the letters make and how to put them together to make words. Needless to say he is now teaching himself to read. He is allowed to watch movies when we go to Grammies house, but after he always acts up. Watching TV is really bad for kids, I have seen how bad first hand..........
I have told my kids that we are having a no TV/computer/electronic game day today. We just moved, and they have been spending way too much time in front of the TV.
Maybe I should try to no TV approach even longer.