21.2.1.4: Parents and television viewing for young children

What should parents know about the risks of television viewing for young children?

Television and other digital media exposure is frequently discussed and often discouraged, but many parents and caregivers might wonder, “What is the harm?” and “Is all television bad?” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding digital media for children under 18 months, except video chatting. For parents who wish to introduce digital media between 18 and 24 months, the AAP advises choosing “high-quality programming” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016).

However, as we progress further in the digital age, children are being introduced to many forms of media at younger ages. Television and other electronic devices may serve as “electronic babysitters,” especially for infants and young children whose temperaments are considered “difficult.”

Additionally, much more media is being targeted to the youngest age groups. Another facet to consider is the nuances of digital media, such as different types of programming and devices (e.g., TV, tablet, cell phone). What, specifically, should parents and caregivers be concerned about? 

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Infant watching television (Lars Plougmann. Creative Commons)

 

Television viewing and the development of self-regulation in young children

Regarding the impact of early television exposure, concerns regarding reactivity and self-regulation are notable. Reactivity describes the intensity of our response to our world, such as how strongly we feel excitement or fear or how strongly we react to sensory information (e.g., sights and sounds). Regulation is the process of monitoring and managing reactivity to the world around us and our internal experiences. This includes how we express emotion, where we put our attention, and how we think about and change our thinking (see Rothbart et al., 2000, for a review).

In early infancy, we rely on others to help us regulate, such as by soothing us. However, as we mature, we gain more independence and the capacity to regulate ourselves. Self-regulation helps children learn, engage with others, and gain independence. When reactivity (e.g., anger/frustration or fearfulness) is elevated and regulation abilities are low, dysregulation can occur. 

Studying the links between children’s TV exposure and dysregulation across cultures

Research suggests that higher levels of dysregulation are associated with more television viewing in young children, with soothability and attention problems being the most commonly affected.

For example, several cross-cultural studies have found differences in children’s inhibitory control (controlling urges), soothability (ability to calm down or recover from stress), cuddliness (willingness to be cuddled), attention (ability to focus and redirect), low-intensity pleasure (ability to enjoy quiet and calm activities), surgency (positive affect), and negative emotionality (tendency to show negative emotions).

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Infant and parent watching together. (William Fortunato. Pexels)

 

Cross-cultural links among television exposure, attention problems, and soothability

Research has found that increased television time was associated with more dysregulation. That is, the more time toddlers spent watching television, the lower ratings parents provided on measures of regulation.

However, links between TV exposure and attention problems (difficulty shifting or maintaining attention) and soothability (the ease with which the child could self-soothe or be soothed by others) varied significantly between cultures. For example, compared to children from other cultures, for Spanish toddlers, time spent watching TV was less strongly associated with dysregulation, whereas for Dutch children, time spent watching TV was more strongly associated with problems with soothability and attention problems.

How to reduce the negative impacts of television viewing for young children

Research suggests that higher levels of dysregulation are associated with more television viewing in young children, with soothability and attention problems most commonly affected. These findings add to previous studies showing that even background television can negatively impact children’s play and parent-child interactions by decreasing children's and parents' attention and active engagement.

Thus, any potential benefits of television stimulation as a new source of entertainment and distraction for young children appear short-lived, with likely adverse effects in the long term. Some benefits of educational programming have been reported across cultures; however, these generally show up later in childhood, after children have developed foundational self-regulation skills.

Television viewing might affect children differently depending on various environmental factors, including cultural and familial customs.

Research shows that limiting television exposure could help limit certain aspects of dysregulation. Yet television viewing might affect children differently depending on various environmental factors, including cultural and familial customs. When families or younger children watch TV, some protective factors may emerge through cultural differences, such as the possibility that some cultures incorporate family engagement into television use.

 It is important to consider the age when children engage with media content and how they contextualize it and how it fits into their world. Television programming could be developed to provide more developmentally appropriate stimulation to young children, especially when paired with parental engagement and application to real-world experiences.

Thus, it is essential to monitor the amount and type of programming children watch and how they engage with television. It is also important for parents and caregivers to talk about and teach children how TV programming can be meaningful in their daily lives.

Brown, K., Desmarais, E., & Garstein, M. (2023, June 17). Impacts of TV exposure on Toddlers: Child & family blog. Considering the impacts of television exposure on toddlers’ dysregulation: Does culture matter? https://childandfamilyblog.com/consi...ulture-matter/  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.