American Academy of Pediatrics Portuguese
Release:
October 1, 2007, 12:01 am (ET), News briefs
Pediatrics; Official Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/oct07studies.htm
CONSISTENT, FREQUENT TV VIEWING CAUSES BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
Consistent, heavy television viewing (more
than two hours a day) throughout early childhood can cause behavior, sleep and attention problems. In the new study, "Children's
Television Exposure and Behavioral and Social Outcomes at 5.5 Years: Does Timing of Exposure Matter?" researchers assessed
data from the Healthy Steps for Young Children national evaluation effort pertaining to the effects of early, concurrent and
sustained television exposure at age 2.5 years, and again at age 5.5 years.
The effects of having a television in the
child's bedroom were measured at age 5.5. Sixteen percent of parents reported that their child watched television more than
two hours a day at age 2.5 years only (early exposure), 15 percent reported that their children watched more than two hours
of television daily at 5.5 years only (concurrent exposure), and 20 percent reported more than two hours of television viewing
daily at both times (sustained exposure). Forty-one percent of children had a television in their bedroom at age 5.5.
Sustained television viewing was associated
with sleep, attention and aggressive behavior problems, and externalizing of problem behaviors. Concurrent television exposure
was associated with fewer social skills. Having a television in the bedroom was associated with sleep problems and less emotional
reactivity at age 5.5. Early exposure to television for more than two hours a day, which decreased over time, did not cause
behavior or social problems.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
recommends no television viewing for children under age 2, and no more than two hours of daily media exposure for ages 2 and
older.
Television habits and sleep disturbance in children; other effects, television in bedroom:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/104/3/e27?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=television&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
Pediatrics; Other References, Children and Television:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/search?andorexactfulltext=and&resourcetype=1&disp_type=&sortspec=relevance&fulltext=television
Also, see Adults and Children Act Against Violence Org for more information
on media violence and children.http://www.actagainstviolence.org
RECOMMENDED BOOK
FOR CHILDREN:
I Can Draw
by Terry Longhurst
Amanda O'Neill
Paragon Publishing 2000.
Excellent book to teach children 4-15 to draw.
Color, illustrated, animals, human figures. Simple, wonderfully illustrated.
