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Kids and TV (April 9, 2004, One)

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Program Summary

It seems as if television has a lot of strikes against it (besides bad sitcoms). Hours of inactivity, commercials that promote junk food, and programs full of violence and sexual nuance have been blamed for the rise in childhood obesity and aggressive behavior. Now a new study claims that watching TV at a very young age could contribute to attention problems.

The study found that exposure to the heightened stimulation of television may affect the structure of the developing brain of a toddler and could possibly lead to conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This research confirms what doctors have suspected for years. In 1999, in fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that children below age two watch no television at all.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, the director of the research, stresses that this study was an observational one only and relied solely on parental information reported at ages one, three, and seven. None of the children was diagnosed by the study as having ADD, a diagnosis that requires input from teachers as well as parents, nor did the study take into account program content or the theory that there is a hereditary aspect to ADD.

Guests

Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Washington; co-director of the Child Health Institute at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle

Related Links and Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics: Television and the Family
Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, April 5, 2004: "Study Finds Link Between Television Viewing and Attention Problems in Children"
Pediatrics, April 2004: "Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children"

For Discussion:

• What is Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD?
• Why do researchers think that watching TV as a toddler may lead to attention problems? How do they think a toddler’s brain is affected by watching TV?
• What were the limitations of the study?
• How much TV do you watch per week? Are you ever unable to read or do homework without the TV on? Why do you think that is?
• Do you think television is bad for small children? What about older children? Would you be willing to reduce your TV viewing or watch only “educational” programs?

Activities

May I have your attention, please?Neuroscience for Kids explains ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), what does and doesn’t cause it, symptoms, treatments, and coping strategies.

Get the lowdown. For a brief summary of the study, read MSNBC’s "Watching TV May Hurt Toddlers' Attention Spans" and It's Official: TV Linked to Attention Deficit Disorders from Whitedot, an international organization that encourages people to reduce their television viewing and “get a life.”

I beg to differ. Study on ADD and TV: Not Much Data to Go on (About.com) examines the shortcomings of the study, primarily that data came only from reports by parents, since no children were directly observed by researchers or diagnosed with ADD. The New Homemaker: Toddlers and TV surveys mothers of toddlers for information about how they use TV and how their toddlers react to it.

Turn off, tune in. The TV Turnoff Network advocates finding other things to do besides watching TV and sponsors the annual TV-Turnoff Week, which takes place April 19–25, 2004. Students can enter a poster contest, organize a TV Turnoff at school, download screen-free activity sheets, and learn about research projects. Local libraries may conduct special events during TV Turnoff Week. (If the official week has already passed, you can still run a TV-free week at any time.) Have students keep a diary of their activities and feelings during the week.

Couch tater tots. Media Babies, a lesson plan from the New York Times Learning Network, has students “discuss the influx of media products geared toward infants and young children” and “consider how these products might affect their target audience at different stages of development.”

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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