Language development hindered by too much TV

My son watches some TV but also stays outside with my parents on their horse ranch during the day while I'm at work. He gets bored with TV because of how many more fun things he is exposed to on a regular basis....

The problem here, even if this is a true study, is underexposure and lack of parenting, not necessarily the TV or background noise. It's simply not taking the time with your children to teach them words and help them communicate..... but lets blame it on the TV instead of ourselves. The fact of the matter is if your child can sit through hours of TV there's a problem!!!

Im actually amazed by my son every day. At just under 3 years old, he's definitely into his technology already, but he loves the outdoors and animals and is real tough kid from helping out. You could give him choices between cartoons and going to the park and he'll go find his shoes so he can go to the park.....

This article is worthless, but for all my parents on here.... Just spend good quality time with your kids. You couldn't ask for better company and they'll benefit from it.

Also there's research that suggests/indicates/shows/hints that using TV as a "Babysitter" (i.e "Here kids watch the TV for 3+ hours while I go do errands," etc.) causes/assist in/leads to/ triggers the emergence of ADHD, or Attention Deficit Disorder.

I tend to find it believable, if not wholly accurate, because that would explain sooo much. (Cause I've been/was diagnosed with ADHD since/when I was eight.)

I think what this study doesn't take into consideration is the type of parents who sit their children down in front of a TV and don't really interact with them. I think that has a lot more to do with it than the TV itself.

I learned how to speak from television and even learned spanish from watching television at a really young age. I think the type of program and how children participate in what they watch are the real indicators to whether or not a child is prevented from learning what they watch. Participation can be a personality trait but some programs like sesame street help children watch in an active manner. Disney attract children to singing and memorizing funny lines. But if you watch cartoons that just scream slap stick nonsense, this might not get children to actively watch. The statistic here aren't properly analyzed and these researchers should reevaluate their hypothesis, maybe that more television programs should change their strategy and design their shows like sesame street. no?

There's nothing in the article that shows "language development is hindered by too much TV."
How is this able to stay on the front page in Current Stories for so long when it's so obviously false if you actually read and analyze the article.
What is happening to Current's credibility?

I am not sure about the link between watching television and language development.
What I know is that when children spend too much time watching TV are not spending enough time for imaginative play and direct experience which is far more important and far more powerful for the development of the brain and the emotions.

Albert Einstein:
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

"The only source of knowledge is experience."

WOW! I wonder how I can pass this article on, without offending someone... My girlfriend does not understand why her child does not speak well (he's 3). It's obvious that the television may be hindering his development.

MORE PARENTING AND LESS ELMO (before the age of 3)!

"Development of Language always affects the child growth yes but not in a sense of major language in a household because mostly here in the Philippines, children when at my age that time learn most reading comics and understand science even military tactics in reading...and TV just arousing the chosen field of the child if they want to be bad or to be in the good side."-JB

This is indeed sad.

I wonder about those 4% who don't speak by age 3. I did not, and it had nothing to do with tv in my case (I was not exposed to much tv or radio as a toddler). Some kids (especially boys) are slow when it comes to picking up speech. I wonder how different 4% is from populations not exposed to tv.

I can totally believe this... we have a lot distractions...

but they sure are great at listening.

sure there are other factors, but we can't deny the fact that television causes a lot of problems, and some educational bullshit won't cut it forever for young kids.

kids need to be taught by their parents, Dora and fucking Sesame Street can't do it forever! she certainly wasn't the reason my first words were in Spanish :)

There was an article a month ago on a mother who is convised her children have benefited in thier learning from television and video games.

Study finds you can't have a conversation with a television, SHOCKING!

Of course the study consisted of forcing children to watch nothing but Glen Beck reruns...

Strictly regarding television, I think that whether or not the television hinders a child's development depends upon what shows the child watches. For example, I think that if the child watches Sesame Street, there will be language development as opposed to a hinderance. However, if the child is watching Days of Our Lives... well garbage in, garbage out.

Now moving away from television, I think a serious part of this issue is also how parents are reacting and interacting to their children. No matter how far technology advances in tools and toys that help our children learn, it is still very important to read with/to, talk with/to, and interact with/to your children. Don't plug them into an electronic baby sitter and go do whatever, be an active and positive part of their lives.

In a similar note, parents need to stop feeding their kids prescription drugs for being overactive and need to take their kids out to be active. Take them on hikes or to the playground regularly, encourage them to run and yell like banshees outside. Most kids, when they burn off the extra energy that comes with being kids, are fairly manageable. This will also help, with a healthy diet, to keep children from being overweight.

I'm not trying to say that all parents are not doing this enough with their children, but its pretty hard to find a situation where doing it more is bad. As a culture, I think that we in the United States are overweight and overmedicate our kids anyways. It is true that some kids actually need medication to regulate their hyperactivity, but realistically it shouldn't be nearly as many kids as are medicated now.

Damnit, I got off the subject of television...

Ummm... TV, sometimes bad.... RAAAAUUUGGGGHHH!
TV, hurt speaking.... RAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!
Smash TV!

SMASH SMASH SMASH!

I know a 1.5 year old that watches about 16(!) hours of TV a day. One parent is always home, and it's not a case of lax parenting or TV-as-a-babysitter,... but betwixt the parent's shows and the 1.5 year old's shows, it's way too much TV. I can't speak for TV inhibiting this child's speech,... because the kid is very vocal - but it seems to be more imitation, mockery and singing. What I HAVE noticed, is that this particular 1.5 year old is completely infatuated with television, their days revolve around TV, their creativity is hindered, independence is limited and it's "the only thing" that calms them down. DISGUSTING! And this kid isn't even watching learning shows - just humorous cartoons, the parent's shows and music videos.
While I agree that TV can be harmful (to ALL of us),... I think that when handled well, limited and when learning shows are viewed, TV can do less bad than some think. Too bad more and more kid shows are just entertainment, not learning.

my younger sister has a 4 and 2 year old. her parenting style is not to let them watch much of anything on tv, mainly they watch anything at all it is a disney movie. yet her 4 year old only really began talking last year (an now you can not shut him up) I think it was because she and her husband never really spoke too much around them. They keep to themselves and ever since he began pre-school classes that was when he started to talk...

Yea, you would think that parents would make sure that the programming their kids are watching is age appropriate, but when I was in day care (23 years ago), all of us 4 year olds were forced to watch soap operas because that was what the day care teacher that worked at that specific time of day wanted to watch. We weren't allowed in the playroom because some kids were still napping. No toys, no engagement with adults or peers, no outside play, just General Hospital and Days of Our Lives for two hours. This of course was several years ago, but I think if my parents knew this was going on, they wouldn't have liked it because they limited my TV as it was. So when parents need to work, and they rely on someone else for child care, it's hard to know what all your child is exposed to.

Sad but true, stupid people need to QUIT BREEDING.... Other than the fact that I'm hideous, this would be the other main reason I don't have children of my own.

Because it would be border line abuse to force a well rounded intelligent child to be subject to a large percentage of idiots his/her whole life, making it's life hell....

My husband is a linguist and elementary school teacher... he's seen this trend too. :(

I hate these bs articles.

I'm finishing up a degree in Language Acquisition, and I can tell you from an academic perspective that what this headline claims is false. And if you actually read the article carefully, you will find that these findings do not link TV and language development.

There is a problem with the interpretation of the findings-

"A survey revealed how 22 per cent of boys and 13 per cent of girls have trouble developing speech and understanding others."

^OK, that sounds right.^

"The survey also showed how more than a quarter of families has a TV on either 'most of the time' or 'all the time'."

^Also believable.^

>>Here is the problem- The article does not say if the 22% of boys and 13% of girls are from families that have "a TV on either 'most of the time' or 'all of the time.'"

I learned to speak English by watching TV (my parents did not speak English). Also, I agree that the study is suspect - it says 4% have not spoken by age 3. That's not significant, but the INVERSE is, i.e. 96% HAVE spoken by age 3.

this is bogus - TV may not be good for the very young, but to blame TV for delayed language development is a bit silly - many factors, including genetics, are all in play.

teaching your toddlers to watch television is taking away the best parts of their childhood! run, play, oh and try to read once in awhile! don't raise lazy kids....

I can see the upcoming generations of children and teens being obese, have problems comprehending what they read, and have the worst grammatical structures in speech. It really is a vicious cycle.

You are obese because you watch TV. You watch TV because you are obese (and therefore cannot bare to exercise).

I think it depends on what type of program is on. I watched Sesame street, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and The Electric Company.

I will never have children, but if I did I would never let them watch television. Some parents are clueless with their children. They cannot simply pop a couple of snot flingers, and expect them to live off of the fat of the land. Wake up irresponsible breeders!

It's true, my Mom has always said that. She's a retired Montessori teacher, and I went to Montessori. She taught my clousin's daughter at home over the past few years, and she is two and 1/2 and speaks in full sentences. She can also count, to the level that she knows if there is a toy missing, she'll say, "I had 4 toys here, and now I only have 3, there's 1 missing."

finally i found people who think the way i do..TV is not for kids. some of my family members think i am nuts though

Sorry, gotta go. Golden Girls is on.... Seriously, though, with the absolute crap-fest that is now cable TV, it's a good time to just shut off the damn tube. Read, play, internet, anything but the 'boob tube'.

Since children learn to speak by listening to voices around them, why would it have to be only their parents specifically that would do the trick?

I agree that doesn't make sense that background noise would interfere since some voices would be nearer and more easily undertood.

Sounds a lot more like bias to try to push an agenda than a study based on facts

This report sounds like complete BS.

Wouldn't all background noise (music, people talking, radio shows, etc.) be harmful in the development of language?

The logic behind this claim doesn't sound all that good.

I'm not entirely sure about this. I remember when Time Magazine was saying that television is what causes autism.

This study is suspicious. There are many other factors that do not seem to be taken into consideration. I am not convinced it is television that is keeping that 4% of three year olds from speaking. Children actually learn from some television programs, Sesame Street is a good example.

I would not be at all surprised to learn there was some other organic or environmental cause to this problem.

This study might hold more weight if we knew if these numbers had gone up or down since TV was introduced. For all we can tell from the information given, these statistics are the same as they ever were and TV has nothing to do with it at all.

This is true i know some women who always saying GO WATCH TV & they don't understand that it is messing up their kid in some way or the other !

that is just sad.. i don't watch tv and this is another rason not to!