TV Watching Is Bad for Babies' Brains

I have 2 children, ages 4 and 1. They watch tv. Not constantly, strictly in moderation, but they have done so since birth. I have no fear that this will delay them in any cognitive fashion whatsoever. In fact, I believe strongly that it has been extremely beneficial. DirecTv offers an add-on called BabiesFirst TV, a commercial free channel devoted to short segments of video that "teach" colors, shapes, letters, and other basic concepts. My oldest watched for about an hour in the morning, giving me the chance to shower and get a little bit of cleaning done, and then for about 30 minutes in the evening while I prepared dinner. She also spent time watching the Your Baby Can Read DVDs, although it was shortlived. She didn't seem captivated by them, so I discontinued use before we got to the third disc. Her vocabulary is astounding. She is commonly mistaken for being years older than she actually is, her preschool teachers marvel at her ablities, and strangers approach me just about everywhere we go to express their shock and awe at how amazingly brilliant she is. My youngest has been just as exposed to television, and although she isn't speaking in sentences yet, she will be very soon. Her level of comprehension is extremely apparent. Studies like this are a waste of time and effort. Watching TV is not going to rot your child's brain. The only way it becomes damaging is if the parent relies entirely on the TV and refuses to do any teaching themselves. And, really- Spongebob on the list of "ok" tv shows? I've never seen an episode of that show have any even remotely valuable content.

Rebecca of TX 3:34PM December 10, 2010