TV Watching Is Bad for Babies' Brains

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Thanks! What a wise and useful information!

Elizabeth of NY 4:47PM March 28, 2013

After reading about T.V is bad for children below the age of 2yrs. it kind of left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I have a new born she's 4 months. I know she has the ability to recognize facial expressions, therefore she has some understanding of emotion. Happiness, sadness, etc. Would it be stupid of me to think by seeing more facial expressions would lead to a better understanding of human emotion and perhaps have a better understanding of human interaction. Obviously i'm not talking about hours upon hours but 30 minutes in the day when i need to prepare her food etc. Its not a question that i'm actually asking its a thought that lingers with me. Am I doing the right thing? ..... Answer..... there's more to T.V/Internet/touch screen than a glowing box that a baby doesn't comprehend.

popi of NM 11:28AM November 12, 2012

Who wrote this?

Lia of IL 1:37AM October 17, 2012

Some parents uses TV as baby sitters but this unfortunately have an important opportunity cost which is the cognitivee deevelopment delays.

Ziad Kassouf 6:59PM October 11, 2012

It's always the people who do not have children that are the hardest on parents. That's because they don't know what it's like to have a child 24 hrs a day, they don't know what it's like to not be able to take a poop alone......EVER. I am all for my child being healthy and intelligent, but I'm not going to sit in complete silence in my home all day for fear that my baby might see the tv. That's just rediculous. We've had television for a long time now and the vast majority of us aren't drooling lobotomites. If you are that much of a nazi, your child is going to have problems anyway when other kids say "hey why don't you guys have a tv?". Because my parents are freaks, of course. Oh yeah, and they're also hypocrits because they wait till I'm asleep and load up a movie instead of just calming down and letting me watch a damn cartoon like they did when they were little. Personaly I think you probably do more damage being such a spastic parent.

You know, there is a happy medium to all these things people. I leave the tv on all day, I like the noise and I don't like silence. Guess what? I also read books to my daughter and play with her everyday. I talk to her and explain things to her, as well as allow her to explore the way a baby likes to (by doing the same thing 40 times lol). But I'm gonna have the tv on. My daughter has either hit or well exceeded every developemental milestone thus far.

The whole reason I was researching this is because I was considering getting some of the Baby Eistien videos. Well, I am dissapointed that they don't seem to provide an educational advantage. However she did really seem to like the ones she saw so guess what?? I'm going to get them anyway.

Amanda of KY 7:52PM August 04, 2012

http://www.examiner.com/article/television-found-by-pediatric-research-to-be-no-harm-or-help-to-infants?cid=db_articles

Krista of LA 9:35PM June 23, 2012

I FULLY AGREE

Tron Tolls of NY 11:40AM February 25, 2012

Oh my goodness!!!!!!!! My poor baby!!!!

Amy Small of ID 1:07PM December 12, 2011

You are using too many big words in this website! i can't understand it!!!! :(

Morgan Bruce of FL 2:44PM November 08, 2011

Totally agreeing, I would rather have children reading or learning before others do, and that helps kids understand many things at an early age that adults are now just figuring out. Nothing against TV, just non-educational films as said in the article, have no reason to be there, just to entertain and make people laugh. Of course, I watch it when there is nothing else on, which explains the "making people laugh" part.

Awesomeness! of HI 12:29AM October 29, 2011

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On Parenting

On Parenting

Parenting may be an art, but there's a lot of science behind raising healthy, thriving children. Contributing Editor Nancy Shute explores the latest discoveries and developments affecting children's health and parenting. Send her your comments and questions at onparenting@usnews.com.

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