Teaching parents to switch channels from violent shows to educational TV can improve preschoolers’ behaviour, even without getting them to watch less, a study found.
The results were modest and faded over time, but may hold promise for finding ways to help young children avoid aggressive, violent behaviour, the study authors and other doctors said.
“It’s not just about turning off the television. It’s about changing the channel. What children watch is as important as how much they watch,” said lead author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician and researcher at Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
The study involved 565 Seattle parents, who periodically filled out TV-watching diaries and questionnaires measuring their child’s behaviour.
Half were coached for six months on getting their 3- to-5-year-old kids to watch shows like Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer rather than more violent programs like Power Rangers. The results were compared with kids whose parents got advice on healthy eating instead.
Global News lists five tips on monitoring television habits in kids doled out by parenting experts.
Limit television time to just a couple of hours a day.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says kids under two years old shouldn’t be taking on screen-based activities – anything with television, handheld devices, video games. Limit daily television watching to less than two hours a day for older children.
Monitor what your kids are watching and make sure you’re comfortable with the content.
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It’s obvious that some shows aren’t suitable for your child but in some cases, it’s harder to tell. Power Rogers, a program meant for kids, was used in this study and linked to aggression. A Canadian study last year pointed to SpongeBob Squarepants as a culprit in shortening kids’ attention span. In that case, researchers noted that the setting moved literally every 11 seconds in the show, meanwhile in calmer kids’ shows, the scenes changed every minute. The CPS suggests that parents encourage their kids, at an early age, to watch shows that teach: programs on nature, science, the arts, or music.
Talk to your kids about media literacy.
Experts say it’s important that kids understand what’s real and what’s fake in television shows and commercials. Help them tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Note to the kids that commercials are meant to sell something and that they’re targeting an audience. If the program is recorded, fast-forward through the commercials.
“Children learn from what they see. The morals and values found in a TV show or on a commercial might be different from what you believe. Set a good example with your own viewing habits. You’ll help your children learn your values and ideas,” the CPS says.
Keep the TV off when it isn’t being used; it shouldn’t turn into background noise.
Avoid the habit of keeping the TV on while you go about your day, experts say. Turn off the TV during meal times, when visitors are over and during homework time. Try to make a rule that homework and chores have to be done before you can watch TV. Some families could even try a “No TV” rule during the school week.
Don’t use television as the caregiver.
When possible, make sure you’re watching television with your kids during the allotted time. When babysitters or nannies come over, make sure you explain the television rules to them.
Read more tips from the Canadian Paediatric Society here.
Media Smarts, Canada’s digital and media literacy group, also provides these tips.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
Follow @Carmen_Chai//
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