The American Academy of Pediatrics "is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age 2 and how it could affect [their] development," and strongly discourages any television viewing for infants and toddlers. Should we be just as concerned about a video that teaches shapes and colors as we are about an animated feature that depicts mutant robots taking over the world?
Parents are urged to talk, read, sing, and play music with their children. If the concern lies in parental interaction, why isn't responsible viewing encouraged, especially that which includes this kind of interaction?
There are many toys (which, interestingly, have been shown to possibly lead to lower quality parent-child interaction) and books available that help teach toddlers numbers, words, colors, and letters. If an educational video teaches the same numbers, words, colors, and letters, why should it be perceived any differently?
The Stigma of TV Viewing
We know there is a vast difference between educational videos and many modern cartoons, which depict female body types found only in a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon's office, and male characters who portray violence as heroic (and vice versa). These are obviously not good choices for a developing mind.
It seems the real issue is not with television viewing itself, but with the method. Today, we tend to equate children and TV with an emotional disconnect or lack of appreciation for learning and play. We tend to envision a child sitting, motionless, on the couch eating a bag of cheese puffs while the parent is off in another room playing Farmville.
But are we throwing the baby out with the bathwater?
Benefits of Educational Television Viewing
Several studies have been performed to determine the effect, if any, that an educational video or television show has on children. Although the results are varied, one common theme persists: if there is parental interaction with the child, and help in mastery of the information presented, the outcome will be much more effective.
Some results even show an improvement in learning. After watching an educational DVD, each child with a parent alongside to help teach him, babies 4 through 24 months actually produced better results than those who did not use the DVD at all.
It has also been demonstrated that toddlers can learn new shapes with the help of video. Babies aged 18 to 33 months watched a 10 minute video each day for 15 days. One group watched a video, which included all of the basic shapes, while the other group watched video with an added crescent shape. Those who watched the video with the crescent were able demonstrate that they had learned this extra shape.
Infants and toddlers benefit most from media that resembles their real-life experiences. Images that depict events or items that are unlike those they experience in real life will not have the same effect.
I choose to watch educational videos with my child because they provide another avenue of education and interaction. She enjoys watching other children, seeing different animals, and listening to music. We repeat words, practice sign language, and sing songs together. When you have your child's best interests at heart, intuition will be a worthy guide to determine what is healthy or edifying.
Elizabeth Davis - Liz is mom to a toddler, an avid researcher of issues related to food and diet, and experienced in nutrition and supplementation.
