Should we deprive children of TV? Recent discoveries suggest that this may slow down learning … and reduce the chances of academic success! How to live in harmony with the small screen. Read before you zap!
The eternal debate about the influence of television in children has been revived by American researchers and New Zealand. This time, there is no violence or overweight; scientists are interested in the influence of television on the intellect.
Surfer baby
Television enfantsQuel is the effect of television among younger? This is the question asked by scientists who compared américains1 intellectual performance of children 6 and 7, linking the time they spent watching TV before age 3, then three to five years. First observation: for three years, small American watch already over two hours per day on TV. After three years they spend more than three hours.
Researchers have found two different effects from the small screen according to age:
• Within three years: The children who spent the most time watching television had lower scores on tests of reading comprehension and memory.
• After three years: The fact of watching television brought an advantage, but only in reading.
Note that in both cases, changes in cognitive performance remains extremely modest. For researchers, the most expected recommendation is to limit television generally, and proscribed by the age of two years.
Tags: baby, children, IQ, TV
