BEWARE: TV could be harmful to young children! Television plays a big part in the lives of many infants, toddlers, and young children. Nine months of age is the median age when children begin to watch TV. The average amount of time children under 3 years old watch TV is from 1-3 hours per day. That’s a lot of time for those very young brains.

Recent neuroscience research has highlighted a variety of potential negative effects of TV exposure. These include decreased parent-child interactions and less time spent in play (Courage et al., 2010), language delays (Chonchaiya & Pruksananonda, 2008), attentional problems (Zimmerman & Christakis, 2007), and risk of antisocial behaviour (Christakis & Zimmerman, 2007). A number of theories are floating around to explain these effects, including overstimulation of the brain by TV content, displacement by TV of more “developmentally enhancing” activities (Brainwave Newsletter, Issue 1, Winter 2011, p. 3), and learning there is no need to pay close attention to TV.

The bottom line for now is this: Children require live – not video-recorded – experiences for the best developmental outcomes. If your child is having any of the above difficulties or you just need some parenting support, contact us .