My long 2 1/2 cents worth :-)
1) There’s a book by Marie Winn, The Plugged-in Drug, which discussed (a) the physical effect on the brainwaves of young children (the “flattening out”) that watching TV even for short periods has and (b) the need for children of alone time, for imaginative play directed by themselves, not parents. This book was from the late 70’s, early 80’s I believe
2) Watching my 18 month old grand-nephew watching Nick Jr cartoons, even those intended for toddlers, is quite disturbing. He’ll be happily playing, but once his dad turns on the big screen babysitter, this little guy zones out like a zombie. He stands perfectly still, eyes rarely blinking, mouth open. He’ll stay like that for almost the entire program. If I block his view of the screen, it takes several seconds for him to react to me; you can see his “normal” mind kick in, starting him to blink, then frown, then focus his eyes on my hand or body that’s blocking the boob tube.
3) Had a pastor say that children were like dogs — you need to let them run for a good bit every day to help them get focused. Cesar Milan the Dog Whisper should appreciate that!
4) A major point that’s been overlooked in the original article is that the 10-year-old was on anti-depressants! There have been many, many warnings that these drugs have never been tested on or intended for anyone younger than a grown-adult, let alone a child. There have been many reports of suicides by children on these drugs.
I fully understand the book you mentioned. I am paraphrasing what I read but essentially the cartoons and video games of today are super fast. That speed of viewing changes the child’s brain. Learning is a slow process. The teacher speaks at a relatively slow rate and the material is slow compared to the super fast cartoons and video games. Thus, the child “tunes” out because his or her brain is ramped for something more fast. I have wondered something else as well. I made my three kids take naps when they were babies and toddler. Heck, it was only in the past few months that my five year old stopped taking a nap. If children are tired (not enough sleep) they will act out. Many parents that I know with small kids no longer enforce the nap rule. I truly wonder if that doesn’t affect behavior as well. It is a complex issue but I think your points are very valid!