TV and Your Child

Scientific evidence suggests that using the boob tube as a babysitter has its price: the more time babies spend sitting in front of the screen, the more their social, cognitive and language development may suffer. Recent studies show that TV-viewing tends to decrease babies' likelihood of learning new words, talking, playing and otherwise interacting with others.

Many studies have suggested that television impedes learning by inhibiting youngsters' ability to interact with others, and according to Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a University of Washington pediatrician, that effect may be compounded when parents get drawn into TV-watching too.

Television by nature is a passive medium that hampers rich social interaction. When the TV is switched on, youngsters spend more time in silence and solitude than they do in active social interaction. In 30% of American households, the television is on most of the day, regardless of whether anyone is watching.

www.time.com