How young is too young to watch television?

The growth of media has had an ever-expanding role in the lives of children, especially in terms of a child's physical and mental health. Here, Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston, comments on media as a force that powerfully affects child development, health, and behavior. Paying particular attention to TV, movies, music, and video games, Rich offers perspective on common concerns over media and suggests ways to avoid the media's negative effects.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• medicine
• health
• humanities
• social
• science
• media
• television
• infants
• children
• teens

[RockmanYoshi]

@DChatc Are you trolling? Nothing is gonna stop a 12 or under kid from using Internet or watching television. Maybe that's how you grew up as a kid , but nothing is gonna stop a child from loading a video game , watching television , or using the internet ''unless the parent says they can't at the moment''.

[Prezzen77]

@DChatc, Are you trolling, or you absolutely serious, because if you're serious you should realize our society is becoming driven by technology, and if a kid doesn't get out enough or use technology, he'll grow up brainwashed. What you are doing is not much different than what the Chinese communists do. I can see not letting your kid watch rated R movies or shows at the age of 8, but they need to think for themselves. It does not distort cultural views, it helps them form their OWN.

[jake07589]

i think your are too young when your still in your mom's belly and can't see the TV

[DChatc]

Really, I think below the age of 12 is too young. THe television is just a repository for cultural distortion. Children should be raised with lego (and other sorts of construction systems) and classical music.

Just a computer, no internet access (after 12, a right of passage along with a bank account and credit card): strategy games, music makers, puzzles/mysteries, and video editing software, GIMP/Photoshop and encyclopedia disks.

[IdontlikeusingLOL]

@DazzieMetallikat How? We are multicellular protein consuming creatures that do not have cellulose in their body. How are we set apart?

[zSGNz]

LOL, i think by music he means Musical / Instrument kind of music.

[SomethingNormal00]

i dont think children should watch voilence because they dont know what is real and what is fiction.

[xAyaLollikies]

Music isnt that appropiate anymore since a lot of songs nowadays are about sex and violence..

[8bennugent]

no age is old enough to watch television

[DazzieMetallikat]

"The rest of the animal world"? We aren't animals in the first place.

Obviously, we're completely set apart from animals.