EFFECTS OF TELEVISION ON KIDS

EFFECTS OF TELEVISION

Do you let your young children watch TV?

Television affects children and adolescents differently than adults. This has an impact all the more important when their knowledge is limited and they are in full development. It is therefore essential for parents to be informed about the effects of television and especially what they can do to improve things.

Learning difficulties

Television viewing is not recommended for children under two years of age as their memory, attention and understanding of symbols are still immature. In addition, they have difficulty transferring their learning in 2D in a 3D world. It is therefore essential that very young children can interact with the real world and people of trust to promote healthy development.

Aggressive behavior

According to the CRTC, too much violence on the screen can lead the child to behave aggressively, be less sensitive to the pain of others and fear the world around him. Even if several other factors are to be taken into account, replacing violent content with educational content has a positive effect on behavior. The best way to overcome this problem is through education, including accompanying the child during his television viewing.

Health issues

The presence of a television in the children's room can waste up to 31 minutes of sleep a day, given the light emitted by the screen and the captivating content. It is better to avoid the screens in the bedroom and limit the listening to 2 hours per day, especially during the week and at meal times.

Asocial trends

Interactions between parent and child are reduced in both quality and quantity when a television plays in the background. Excessive viewing of television at a young age is associated with antisocial behavior.

More active sexuality

The more a teenager sees mediated sexuality, the more likely he will be sexually active. While 33% of adolescents learn about sex through the mass media, they often lack factual knowledge about protection, consequences and healthy relationships. It is therefore important to give them access to information on sexuality, in addition to raising children's awareness of intimacy, consent and respect.

A flat for all this

Nevertheless, the idea is not to reject television, but rather to teach young viewers to use it well. We are in the digital age and it is important for children to become familiar with technology and the media from an early age. Rather than seeing television as an enemy, adopting it and adapting it to make it a tool for healthy development.