Bye-bye TV?

by Elizabeth E. Escaño

Kids do seem to be drawn to television like a moth to a 42-inch, high-definition flame. But a new study of Japanese children gives more reasons not to park kids in front of the tube.*

             After reading the title of Laura Sanders’ article, a pair of questions popped in my head. Is this going to be a positive article or is it going to be negative, complete with an anti-media sentiment?

            But her writing style disarmed me. She wrote conversationally and with a natural flow, choosing to ease away from being too scientific. Sanders opted to link readers to the previous studies regarding the number of hours kids watch television. This resulted to an article that was kept short but interesting.

Growing brains from watching television?**

            It was surprising to know that the study of Japanese children that linked TV time to growing brains was one of the first of its kind. I thought that there would be more, but it turns out that this was not the case. And it is important to note that the findings were not necessarily good, as growing brains in this case correlated with a lower IQ!

            I think that there is a value in young children watching TV. It will help them see more of the world and let them see various shapes and colors. However, I think parents should be careful of what their kids watch and for how long.

            I think that TV time should be less than playtime. I also think that kids would learn more of the world by experiencing it, so more time outdoors is a must. This will also help them exercise instead of just sitting or lying down while watching the programs shown in the black box in the living room.

            In the end, as with all things, moderation is the key.

*(photo FROM GREENLAND/SHUTTERSTOCK, caption from LAURA SANDErS. BOTH GRABBED FROM SANDERS' article.)

**(PHOTO FROM DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, CAPTION AUTHOR'S OWN. PHOTO GRABBED FROM GOOGLE IMAGES. )