Parents Must Limit the Amount of Television their Children View

Excessive television watching by children severely compromises a child’s physical and emotional condition. Yet, few parent understand the important relationship between TV viewing and their child’s health. The inactivity associated with too much TV along with a child’s vulnerability to the messages of mass marketing lead to numerous physical problems such as obesity, a poor diet and the loss of manual dexterity. Heavy TV viewing is also associated with the poor development of certain parts of the brain which lead to academic difficulty and behavioral disorders. Parents must be made to understand that using the television as a babysitter results in many harmful problems and possibly a lifetime of suffering and disease.

According to a study cited by the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the majority of children reported spending 3 hours per day watching television. The study consisted of small group interviews with 180 parents and children ages 6 to 13. The study found that although parents have restrictions on the types of television programs their children watch, they do not limit the actual time they spend watching television. “Interviews revealed that for many of these families there is a lack of concern that television viewing is a problem for their child”. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children over age 2 spend less than two hours per day with screen media, because too much watching has been linked to several physical, academic, and behavioral problems (Heitzler et al.).

Since television viewing takes away time from physical activity, children who watch too much television are more susceptible to being overweight. “A number of studies have linked being overweight with TV watching, because ...

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...hild development experts agree violent media in a child’s life must be eliminated in order to prevent its harmful effects upon a child’s view of the world and society. Parents must become actively engaged in their child’s television viewing habits and ensure their children reach their maximum capabilities in life.

Works Cited

Endsley, Richard C., and Surbeck, Elaine. Children’s Emotional Reactions to TV Violence: Effects of Film Character, Reassurance, Age, and Sex. n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.

Health Effects of Excessive TV Watching by Children. LimiTV. N.p. n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.

Heitzler, Carrie D., Hersey, James C., Jordan, Amy B., and McDivitt, Judith A. Reducing Children’s Television-Viewing Time: A Qualitative Study of Parents and Their Children. Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics. 7 June 2006. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.