Toddlers and use of TV or other Screens - Brain Development Dangers

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not letting kids under age two watch television. The first two years of a child's life are the most crucial period in their brain development.

The odds of children ages one to three developing attention problems by age seven increases by 10% for every hour of TV they watch per day.

Features : Parenting : Advice for Parents : Toddler Brains and Television

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind	Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five

Millions of kids under the age of two are watching TV - more than half our toddlers are tuned in to the tube. Studies indicate more than half the children under 2 in the US (65% according to one study by the Kaiser Family Foundation) are watching an average of more than 2 hours of television every day.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not letting kids under age two watch television. The first two years of a child's life are the most crucial period in their brain development.

Watching television has been shown to cause permanent changes in brain structure. The solution isn't to wait and see, then give kids drugs to counteract the ADHD symptoms. The solution is simple: don't let children under 2 - and older kids, if you can manage it - watch television or use computer games. Period.

This screen time includes using a computer, smart phone or playing video games. Give a toddler's brain time to grow normally and avoid problems with attention when they get to school.

It's not relevant that programming for young children is available on educational and public television stations. So what!? If the programming works now but affects your kid for the rest of his or her life, just say NO TV, and wait until they're older to let them indulge. Television is seductive and intriguiing, and a small child can't help but be attracted. Turn it off, and save your child's brain!

Millions of American children take prescription medication for ADHD - the number is increasing, not decreasing, and nationwide school scores are declining. Television isn't to blame for all the problems with low test scores in our schools, but its impact on toddlers with respect to later attention deficit problems has been scientifically proven.

Television and other video display devices aren't harmless, at least not for toddlers. Let's ensure their future by keeping the TV or tablet turned off for at least their first few years, and limit kids exposure to electronic screens of any kind.

Additional Resources & Info

Learning Disabilities Association of America - what's the connection between TV and ADHD?

National PTA.org - English / Spanish

Media & Technology
( a PTA.ORG article )

Navigating the Children's Media Landscape: A Parent's and Caregiver's Guide - Adobe PDF format Guide by PTA.org

Cable in the Classroom

Control Your TV - English / Spanish

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