Despite warnings, most U.S. babies watch TV

DESPITE WARNINGS, MOST BABIES WATCH TV
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Julie Steenhuysen]
About 90 percent of U.S. children under age 2 and as many as 40 percent of infants under three months are regular watchers of television, DVDs and videos, researchers said on Monday. This despite the many e-mails, fliers and warning labels sent to these kids by childrens' advocates. About half of the shows watched were in the educational category, with the remainder split evenly among noneducational children's content, baby DVDs/videos and adult TV. A second study suggested excessive TV viewing can lead to attention and learning problems down the road. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that children in the United States watch about four hours of television every day. They recommend that children under age 2 should not watch any and older children should watch no more than 2 hours a day of quality programming. But 29 percent of parents surveyed believe baby-oriented TV and DVD programs offer educational benefits. How could they get that idea? Could it have anything to do with advertising? "Parents are getting the message loud and clear from marketers of TV and videos that this is good for their kids. That it will help their brain development ... None of this stuff has ever been proven," said Frederick Zimmerman of the University of Washington, whose research appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0734098220070507

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