Growing up, I was told that if I sat too close to it, I’d go blind.  If I watched too much of it, my brain would rot.  I even seem to recall my grandmother mentioning something about it giving off cancer-causing radiation.  It’s a wonder my parents let such a dangerous device into the house.  And still, despite the best efforts of my parents to demonize the “boob tube,” I watched WAY too much of it.

As a parent now, I find myself facing the same predicament as my own parents.  I have two young children who are fun, creative, imaginative, and energetic.  Do I really want them to spend a decent chunk of time each day zoning out in front of the television?

TV’s Role in the Life of an Average Child

TV plays a huge role in the life of the average child.  Consider that a child between the ages of 2 and 5 spends, on average, 32 hours per week watching television.  That’s almost a full-time job!  Kids aged 6-11 spend an average of 28 hours per week plopped in front of the tube.  And nearly two thirds of families are eating dinner with the television on.  Some kids see the TV more than they see their parents… or their friends… or the light of day.

As kids get older, television also becomes a centerpiece of socialization.  At school, children discuss their favorite shows and characters — the child who isn’t watching much TV may feel left out, and increase their watching habits to fit in.

Is Watching All This TV Bad For Our Kids?

I don’t believe that TV is completely without merit in the lives of our children.  Today, there are programs designed specifically for young children — these programs engage the kids and teach them new things.  They ask the kids to participate, and encourage our kids to be imaginative.  I think it’s neat that my kids know some Spanish because they’ve seen Dora.

But there’s an opportunity cost associated with television watching.  Every moment our kids spend watching a favorite program is a moment they don’t spend reading a book, or socializing with friends, or exercising outside.  It’s a moment they don’t spend practicing an instrument or drawing a picture.  If TV is in any way evil, it’s because it’s pulling our kids away from activities that are better choices for how to spend their time.

Finding an Appropriate Balance

So the issue for most parents becomes finding an appropriate balance.  Growing up, we went through a lot of different TV rules.  For a while, we went without it all-together.  We went for another period without cable.  Whenever we did have TV, cable or not, there were always special restrictions for weekdays vs weekends.  So what do you do in your family?  How much is too much for you and your kids?

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