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How does watching tv affect child development


Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world

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Why to Avoid TV for Infants & Toddlers

​By: David L. Hill, MD, FAAP

Parents are often shocked when I tell them that pediatricians think it's a bad idea for children to watch TV or use mobile apps before age 18 months, because most toddlers already have. Surveys tell us that 92.2% of 1-year-olds have already used a mobile device, some starting as young as age 4 months.

Early Brain Development

I hear a lot of parents say, "But my baby likes it!" Infants may stare at the bright colors and motion on a screen, but their brains are incapable of making sense or meaning out of all those bizarre pictures. 

It takes around 18 months for a baby's brain to develop to the point where the symbols on a screen come to represent their equivalents in the real world.

What infants and toddlers need most to learn is interaction with the people around them. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't video-chat with a distant grandparent or a deployed parent, but when it comes to day-to-day learning they need to touch things, shake them, throw them, and most of all to see the faces and hear the voices of those they love the most. Apps can teach toddlers to tap and swipe at a screen, but studies tell us that these skills don't translate into real-world learning. See Healthy Digital Media Use Habits for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers.

Where's the Harm?

So sure, babies and toddlers don't get anything out of watching TV, but if they seem to like it, where's the harm? If a little TV is what it takes for you to get dinner on the table, isn't it better for them than, say, starving? Yes, watching TV is better than starving, but it's worse than not watching TV. Good evidence suggests that screen viewing before age 18 months has lasting negative effects on children's language development, reading skills, and short term memory. It also contributes to problems with sleep and attention.

If "you are what you eat," then the brain is what it experiences, and video entertainment is like mental junk food for babies and toddlers.

The problem lies not only with what toddlers are doing while they're watching TV; it's what they aren't doing. Specifically, children are programmed to learn from interacting with other people. The dance of facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language between a toddler and parent is not only beautiful, it's so complex that researchers have to record these interactions on video and slow them down just to see everything that's going on. Whenever one party in this dance, child or parent, is watching TV, the exchange comes to a halt.

A toddler learns a lot more from banging pans on the floor while you cook dinner than he does from watching a screen for the same amount of time, because every now and then the two of you look at each other.

Just having the TV on in the background, even if "no one is watching it," is enough to delay language development. Normally a parent speaks about 940 words per hour when a toddler is around. With the television on, that number falls by 770! Fewer words means less learning.

Toddlers are also learning to pay attention for prolonged periods, and toddlers who watch more TV are more likely to have problems paying attention at age 7. Video programming is constantly changing, constantly interesting, and almost never forces a child to deal with anything more tedious than an infomercial.

After age 2 things change, at least somewhat. During the preschool years some children do learn some skills from educational TV. Well-designed shows can teach kids literacy, math, science, problem-solving, and prosocial behavior. Children get more out of interactive programs like Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street when they answer the characters' questions. Educational TV makes the biggest difference for children whose homes are the least intellectually stimulating.

What You Can Do:

Naturally, children learn more when they watch TV or use apps with a parent. Content matters, a lot. All programs educate kids about something, but stick with ones that are designed to teach children stuff they should actually know like language and math.

Regardless of content, cap your child's electronic entertainment time at 1 hour a day from age 18 months to age five.

Remember, too, TV is still TV whether you actually watch it on a TV screen or on a mobile phone or computer.

Additional Information & Resources:

  • How to Make a Family Media Use Plan

  • Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents

  • Parents of Young Children: Put Down Your Smartphones

  • How Do Infants Learn? 

  • Media and Young Minds (AAP Policy Statement)​

About Dr. Hill:

Pediatrician David Hill, MD, FAAP, is Vice President of Cape Fear Pediatrics in Wilmington, NC, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UNC Medical School. He serves on the executive committees of the North Carolina Pediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and the Media. Dr. Hill won the Independent Book Publishers Association Benjamin Franklin Award in 2013 for Dad To Dad: Parenting Like A Pro. He serves as a consultant on child care issues for local and national radio, television, and internet-based media. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife, three children, and two step children.

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

How TV harms the baby's health. Arguments for parents

Read "Sever-Press" in

Scientists talk a lot about the fact that children need sensory stimulation - outdoor games, games for the development of all senses - they contribute to the healthy development of the child's brain. But there is such a thing as sensory overstimulation - it poses a great threat to the development of the child, especially at an early age of up to 3 years. This sensory restimulation is provided by watching TV and gadgets - a computer, tablet or phone. nine0003

The book Brain-Changing Pedagogy has many sensible explanations for why gadgets are so harmful. Teachers in Russia, the United States, and Europe have noticed that over the past decades, children have become worse at thinking, they have more speech problems, and the time during which they are able to maintain active attention has decreased. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the amount of stimulation of the nervous system with the help of TV and computer has become critical. What an adult brain can tolerate can be very harmful to a growing one. nine0003

The authors of the book cite their observations as an example - literally 10 years ago in a developing children's center there were two non-speaking children among all two-year-olds, and now there are more than half. Now, if parents have their first child, they are not even surprised that a child at 2 years old does not speak - everyone around is like that.

When a child watches TV, only two channels of perception of sensory information work - hearing and vision. It can be assumed that the TV at least stimulates the development of vision and hearing, but it turns out that this is not so. Binocular vision and visual acuity are not yet fully developed in a child somewhere before 4 years of age. The maturation of the visual system involves the ability to search for objects, focus on them, "scan" them. To develop these skills, it is necessary to gradually increase the field of view and view three-dimensional images. The TV screen only allows you to look at two-dimensional objects and reduces the field of view. nine0003

Children who watch a lot of TV cannot dilate their pupils sufficiently. The volume of eye movements also changes, so children stare at the screen. These problems are especially noticeable when a child is learning to read. For normal reading, the so-called saccadic eye movements are important - these are fast involuntary movements. Accordingly, watching TV for a long time can cause a child to skip lines while reading, it will be difficult for him to catch the meaning of long words. Reading also requires that the eyes constantly move from left to right across the page. Weakness of the eye muscles, arising from lack of use of them, impairs this ability. Reading takes more effort than watching TV, so your eyes get tired quickly. nine0003

Attention is also closely related to the work of the visual system. The brain has a special system that determines what to focus on and when to concentrate. So, frequent TV viewing disrupts the operation of this system.

In addition, bright flickering images on the screen that change every 5-6 seconds in many programs and every 2-3 seconds in commercials do not allow the higher "thinking" brain to even process this image. The cortex takes 5 to 10 seconds to process a new stimulus. In this regard, modern cartoons are “more harmful” than the same Soviet ones, where the picture changes less frequently. But in any case, watching any cartoons and programs makes it difficult for a child to develop. nine0003

There are no studies to show that infants and young children benefit in any way from watching TV. Therefore, developing television programs for kids (up to 3 years old), in principle, cannot be. Here are the results of American research: children aged 7 months to 1.5 years who watch TV regularly know fewer words than their peers. If a child under the age of one spends 2 hours a day in front of the TV, then this increases the risk of speech disorders by 6 times. Apparently, this happens because the brain is tuned to learn the language in the process of communication, and not passive perception. nine0003

There are children who, even after watching TV, began to speak in phrases at the age of 1.5, and do not have common developmental problems, the channel "Mothers and Babies" notes. But, firstly, this is a rarity today, and secondly, the main problems arise in preparation for school and in the first grade.

Of course, TV is convenient for parents - this is the reason why children often watch cartoons. Mom and early childhood educator Olga, therefore, decided to argue against the use of gadgets so that parents make a more informed choice. She often gets tired too, but there are healthier ways to distract the kids. The same box with a variety of toys (preferably hidden for a couple of weeks before that), games with water in the bathroom, sensory boxes with cereals and other things that have enough imagination. nine0003

At what age and for how long can a child watch TV?

Television in our homes today is commonplace and everyday reality. A couple of decades ago, children counted the days and hours to watch their favorite cartoon. Today, you can watch at least a hundred episodes in a row and immediately.

Dozens of children's TV channels broadcast almost around the clock. You can find content for absolutely every taste. Children tend to spend a lot of time in front of a screen. Is TV harmful or helpful for children of different ages? In our article we will try to answer this question in detail. nine0003

At what age can you watch TV?

Pediatricians and psychologists definitely do not recommend watching TV programs for children under 2 years of age. First of all, it is connected with physiology. Parents often notice that even infants react to television. But they are attracted to bright, flashing pictures and sounds. Allowing such kids to “watch” TV is definitely not worth it.

The fact is that their brain, nervous system, speech, organs of vision, hearing are still immature and are only being formed. For their proper development, the child must look at the surrounding objects, moving and stationary, listen to the sounds around, and not just coming from the screen, interact with living people. Children learn only in contact with adults. nine0003

Until the age of 3-4, children are attracted only by movement on the TV screen. They still do not know how to distinguish between real and imaginary. What happens in the cartoon they transfer to real life.

It is acceptable to allow a child to watch TV from 2-3 years old, but not more than 20 minutes a day and with strict quality control of the content. But, the longer the baby lives without a TV in his life, the better for his physical and mental health.

Is there any benefit to TV?

Of course, it is not worth excluding television from the child's world completely. There are also benefits from it:

  1. Broadening one's horizons . Through the screen, you can get acquainted with different countries, traditions, cultures, gain new knowledge in different areas. This can be a powerful source of inspiration and desire to explore the world.
  2. Development of intelligence . With the help of modern technology, children are enthralled with information written in thick and boring encyclopedias. Few people are interested in studying such books, and learning with the help of video content is easy and pleasant. nine0050
  3. Vocabulary enrichment . The child hears the correctly delivered speech of TV presenters and TV heroes, learns many new words, the meaning of which will certainly ask questions to parents. It is only important to always answer them and delve into the essence.
  4. Common interests with peers . Children who do not watch TV at all run the risk of becoming "black sheep" in the children's society. Not knowing the popular cartoon characters, TV shows, they do not keep up the conversation, they feel excluded from the team. For very young children, this is not critical, children find a common language in joint games. But the older the child, the more important it is for him to be “on the same wavelength” with his peers. And it cannot be ignored. nine0050

Parents' delusions about the benefits of television

The modern world of television is large, varied and fascinating. At first glance, he is able to give a lot. But, in fact, for harmonious development, children need something completely different.

Filling them only with knowledge from the screen, often fragmentary and age-inappropriate, is absolutely ineffective and harmful. The child learns, first of all, from an adult with whom he has established contact, a trusting relationship. nine0003

Reading books, taking walks together, observing nature, creating art, participating in the daily life of the family - this is what truly develops and prepares for the future life. And information TV shows should only complement the learning process.

Sometimes parents encourage and encourage non-speaking children to watch TV “so that they can speak faster”. But the child will speak faster if you communicate with him, look at toys together and talk about everything that you see around.

Funny pictures on TV that move, make sounds and speak do not motivate them to voice them. But when a kid looks at drawings in a book or holds a simple toy in his hands, he has to “make” these characters sound out loud or mentally. First, the child pronounces primitive sounds - “kva-kva”, “beep-beep”; later - when verbs appear in speech - the plots and "speech" of toys and pictures become more complicated.

With a TV, no effort is needed: cartoon characters actively communicate, tell stories and move independently. The child can only passively observe. It does not encourage you to speak on your own. nine0003

The negative impact of the TV

Unfortunately, TV does more harm than good. We list all negative factors below:

1. Negative effect on the organs of vision . For the normal formation of the organs of vision, it is important to correctly dose visual loads. The picture of the TV is projected onto the retina of the eye by the light mass. To see a clear image, the child instinctively strains the eye muscles. The picture is moving and has a lot of detail, which leads to even more eye strain. nine0003

Thus, spending more time at the screen every day, the child systematically overstrains his visual system. The result is eye fatigue, headache, and, as a result, visual impairment.

2. Negative effect on the nervous system . The younger the children, the less their brain can absorb information from the programs and cartoons they watch. Lack of life experience and immature nervous system do not allow to analyze what he saw. All this translates into overexcitation of the nervous system, which affects the mood and behavior of the child, his sleep, learning. nine0003

3. Speech delay . A child at the age of about a year begins to pronounce the first words, then sentences, and then he can already formulate his thought. But a long stay in front of the screen negatively affects the formation of coherent speech.

The ability to speak and communicate comes to children in the process of interacting with people, repeating after adults. When replacing live communication with a TV screen, there is a delay in the formation of correct and competent oral speech. nine0003

4. Negative effect on brain development . A child who spends a lot of time watching TV does not develop imagination, logic, the ability to think, analyze and draw conclusions. TV provides ready-made answers instead of letting the child look for them on their own. TV turns into a "consumer", which obediently absorbs everything that flows from the screen. Skills such as self-control, planning one's actions do not develop.

5. Reduced capacity for imagination and creativity . To come up with something new and create, a child needs to be able to entertain himself, sometimes get bored. And the TV does not allow this, offering ready-made entertainment for every taste. The abuse of watching TV suppresses the creative abilities of a preschooler, does not allow them to develop.

6. Impairment of social skills . For their development, a person needs live communication. The ability to feel the interlocutor, guess his mood, keep up the conversation, organize joint activities - all this is developed only through direct experience of communication with peers and adults. nine0003

7. Provoking neuroses . Watching TV shows and films that are inappropriate for age, with scenes that are cruel and frightening, can lead to fears and nightmares in a child. Under no circumstances should this be allowed.

8. Problems with physical condition, motor skills . Watching TV is a passive pastime. But to be healthy, children need to move as much as possible. Sitting for a long time leads to problems with posture, the child develops poorly physically, which will negatively affect his health and quality of life in the future. nine0003

9. Eating disorders . Some parents turn on the TV to feed their child. Looking at the flashing funny pictures, the child obediently opens his mouth. But this magical method will bring many problems in the future. Children who are fed under cartoons do not learn to control their feelings of hunger and satiety, they develop improper eating behavior. Therefore, turning on the TV while eating is strongly discouraged.

Children and adults love to eat in front of the TV screen. This is a bad habit that leads to overeating, consuming a lot of tasty and unhealthy food. After all, carried away by viewing, we cease to control what and how much we put in our mouths. nine0003

How many hours per day can you spend in front of a screen?

Here are the recommendations of pediatricians, psychologists and teachers:

  1. From 2 to 4 years old you can allow your child to watch TV shows or cartoons no more than 20 minutes a day.
  2. From 4 to 7 years old children already follow the plot, identify themselves with their favorite characters and want to be like them.
  3. Children over 7 years old are already good at distinguishing reality from television images. They have formed ideas about time and space, they begin to analyze what is happening and reason. At the age of 7-10 years, it is permissible to spend no more than 30-50 minutes a day in front of the TV screen. nine0050
  4. By the age of 10-11 the content of the viewed content comes to the fore. He already has his own opinion and preferences, so he himself chooses interesting programs and films. At this age, a child can watch TV 1-3 hours a day.
  5. At the age of 12-13, most children get bored with television. Many of them are switching to video games.

How to make watching TV safe?

Do not place the TV in a child's room. Let it not compete with games, creativity, reading. Adults often turn on the TV in the background. And children quickly adopt this habit. Therefore, first of all, adults need to educate themselves and set an example. nine0003

It is imperative to control the time the child spends in front of the screen. After all, self-control in children is still poorly developed, it is difficult for them to break away from the TV.

A great way to control the quality of the content children watch is to watch with them and then discuss what they see. During a conversation, it is important not only to express your own opinion, but also to listen to the opinion of the child, to show respect for his tastes and interests.

When watching TV, stay at least 2-3 meters away from the screen. Acceptable distance is measured by 3-5 diagonals. The larger the diagonal of the TV, the further it should be located from the eyes. Do not watch TV from the side, in the dark or in too bright light. Lighting of medium intensity is best, in which the eyes do not strain too much. nine0003

What can a child watch?

A correct show or cartoon for children should meet the following criteria:

  • a calm and kind cartoon with unhurried action and images that do not change too quickly gives the child time to think and assimilate what he sees;
  • the plot should be clear to a child of this particular age;
  • children benefit from interactive programs that encourage them to answer questions;
  • also develop children's musical programs and cartoons that form the ear, teaching dance moves. nine0050

It is important to instill in a child from birth a taste for the wonderful art of animation and cinema, to look for interesting and educational programs together and to explore this world together. Censorship in today's access to the information space can only be ours. Parents themselves are obliged to teach the kid to distinguish a bad cartoon from a good one, a stupid program from an educational one.

What should children not watch?

The child's psyche is not yet formed, the baby has not yet developed a critical perception of information. Therefore, the choice of content for the child lies entirely with adults. nine0003

Children of all ages should not see violent scenes on the screen and in general all films and programs intended for an adult audience.

Children should not be shown cartoons where the main characters behave aggressively, harm others, and demonstrate life-threatening behavior. Bad behavior should be condemned and good behavior encouraged. Only in this way the concepts of good and evil, justice are formed in children.

How to wean a child from watching TV for a long time? nine0031

It will not be easy to wean a child who is accustomed to watching TV uncontrollably. But parents need to show perseverance, patience and benevolence. Parents voice the new rules and explain why it will be so now. Of course, children do not accept this easily. Parents will have to strictly monitor the observance of "screen time" at first.

It is necessary not just to press the button when the limit is reached, but to warn the child in advance, for example, 5-10 minutes before the end. So he will be prepared and, perhaps, scandal will be avoided. nine0003

Offer other active activities to replace the TV. After all, the main reason for sticking to the screen is the lack of interesting and exciting activities for the child. Children who play well on their own are less dependent on television. And teaching to play is the task of parents.

Children from a very young age can be involved in household chores. It's useful and very exciting. Bake a cake together, clean the closet, clean the floor - the kids are happy to do all this together with their parents. Older children can organize interesting leisure activities in hobby groups, the choice of which is huge today. nine0003

Sometimes even busy children, to whom their parents pay enough attention, tend to spend every free minute in front of the screen. This happens if a child has developed a stereotype of using TV as a means of relaxation. After watching the cartoon, you can gently switch the baby to other activities - drawing, modeling, constructor, etc. Over time, he will learn to relax in a different way.

It is very useful to have days without TV. At this time, you can talk with your child, take a walk, show him that the world exists not only on the screen. Such a pastime greatly strengthens family relationships. nine0003

It is impossible to deny the obvious benefits of television for a modern child.

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