Too much TV??

I stuck my kids in front of a movie the other day and one of my boys chided me by saying, “our brains are going to turn to mush if we watch so much TV.” I laughed, but his wisdom came flooding back to me as I read a recent article in The Oregonian, a Portland based newspaper. The article, TV time a health hazard for children (Nov. 23, 2009), compares screen time to the most dangerous substance in our homes. It is an issue that has been studied at length, and I feel there is merit to many of their claims.

The general guidelines for screen time (which includes television, video games, and computers) are that kids 2 and older should be limited to two hours a day (unless doing homework) and children under 2 should NEVER use screen media. The article claims that children who exceed these guidelines are more likely to:

*be overweight
*smoke
*have high blood pressure
*bully other children
*have sleeping problems
*develop ADD
*lag behind in language and social skills
*drink alcohol

TV time is inactive time. By allowing children so much inactive time in front of a screen we are putting them at higher risks for bad health habits they will carry with them as they age and which will seriously affect their physical, emotional, and social health.

Sorry Moms, I don’t mean this to be a guilt-trigger! I can tell I use the TV more at different times. This summer I had a brand new baby and five kids in my house under the age of 7. You can BET we watched some good movies and a little PBS, and frankly, I didn’t feel guilty about it. Now that they are in school, they watch *maybe* two hours a week, because our time is more limited. I think we need to use common sense and look for balance and moderation in individual circumstances.

As a parent you have to find what works for your family, but this article was a good reminder and wake up call for me to realize how affected children truly are by screen time and how it can have long lasting health implications.

Maybe my son was right after all…too much TV will turn his brain to mush.

Other interesting links:

Center for Screen Time Awareness:
http://www.tvturnoff.org/

American Academy of Pediatrics Media Violence policy:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;124/5/1495