Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder & T.V.
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive May 2005:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder & T.V.
I haven't done any research on this, however, I pulled this off another board that a mom posted. I'm not sure where she got this articile. I would like to hear your thoughts about this subject. Do you think there is a link?
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It's Official:
TV Linked to Attention Deficit
by Jean Lotus
A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that watching videos as a toddler may lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, also called ADD in UK) in later life.
TV watching "rewires" an infant’s brain, says Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis lead researcher and director of the Child Health Institute at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Wash. The damage shows up at age 7 when children have difficulty paying attention in school.
"In contrast to the way real life unfolds and is experienced by young children, the pace of TV is greatly sped up." says Christakis. His research appears in the April 2004 issue of Pediatrics. Quick scene shifts of video images become "normal," to a baby "when in fact, it’s decidedly not normal or natural." Christakis says. Exposing a baby’s developing brain to videos may overstimulate it, causing permanent changes in developing neural pathways.
"Also in question is whether the insistent noise of television in the home may interfere with the development of ‘inner speech’ by which a child learns to think through problems and plans and restrain impulsive responding," wrote Jane Healy, psychologist and child brain expert in the magazine’s commentary.
Babies brains grow rapidly
Even a child playing with its own fingers has the neural patterning that comes from bending, flexing, stretching and grasping. Scientists tell us that the brain develops in completely unique ways between birth and three years. As a kiddie viddie baby sits "mesmerized", neural paths are not being created. This is crucial brain development that stops by age three.
"You don’t want to think that something as innocent as half-an-hour’s peace and quiet could reduce your kid’s chances later in life," says Claire Eaton, 27-year-old mother from Lewisham, Australia.
Setting up baby for failure in school
Are parents who use infant videos such as "Baby Einstein" and "Teletubbies" putting their child at risk for a lifetime of Special Ed classes, school "behavioral therapy" and Ritalin?
In the study of more than 2,000 children, Christakis found that for every hour watched at age one and age three, the children had almost a ten percent higher chance of developing attention problems that could be diagnosed as ADHD by age 7. A toddler watching three hours of infant television daily had nearly a 30 percent higher chance of having attention problems in school.
Infant videos: They wouldn’t sell them if they were dangerous --Would they?
An explosion of kidvids for the bouncy chair set has hit the market. These include Baby Einstein, Baby Mozart, So Smart etc. TV shows, such as Teletubbies, aim at 18-month-old toddlers. These videos are peddled as "educational tools" to "give your baby a head start." The truth is, they are a video-tether that keeps baby out from underfoot.
"Max is learning German right now from a video"
Parents take away crucial life experiences from their child every time they pop in Baby Einstein. But they do love how it takes the baby out of their hair for awhile Listen to what parents say in testimonials about infant videos:
"I love spending time with my boy but let's face it, there are times when you just have to have 10 minutes or so to yourself so that you can wash the dishes or do laundry; that's when you pop this video in. It's 25 minutes of entertainment that holds the attention of even very young children. ," (son 10 months) Chris Hudson from San Antonio, TX.
There are times I rewind it and play it again and again until I get the dishes done and order restored. My son is captivated (and hopefully learning something). Mom in Connecticut
The only thing I wish is that the videos were longer than 30min. Melissa Perruzi, Clinton Mississippi
(From Baby Eisntein reviews on Amazon.com).
Big problem for little people
Twenty-six percent of US children younger than age two have TV in their bedrooms - often watched from the crib, and 36 percent of families leave the TV on almost all of the time, even when no one is watching, according to a 2000 Kaiser Family Foundation study.
Don’t put your child at risk!
The good news is, infants and toddlers don’t need television to distract them. Humans raised children for 50,000 years before television sets and you can do it too. Your children can learn to entertain themselves or play with your supervision.
"When one-year olds are playing with a toy, they can explore it, poke at it, drop it," says Yale University Television Researcher Dorothy Singer. "They’re learning about space, about sound, and they’re developing sense of competence. Watching a TV show just doesn’t provide the same sensory experience."
Leaving a child alone with the TV is never a good idea.
"Would you entrust you toddler into the care of a baby sitter, even for a few minutes, who cannot hear or see your child?" writes Nancy Hall of Yale University’s Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy. "Would you leave your child in an environment that encourages passivity, limits creativity and results in increased aggressive behavior? Many 1-year-olds are spending time regularly with just such a baby sitter: the television set."
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
ADHD affects 12 percent of US school children and has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. Studies show ADHD increased with the introduction of children’s television in the 1950s and then spiked higher in the mid 1980s when VCRs and home video became commonplace. Although the condition is known to be genetic, scientists have noted its rapid spread throughout every social class of children, and guessed that there could be an environmental cause. TV watching is a cause, this study shows.
How much TV should I let my baby watch?
No child under age two should watch television at all, the Academy of American Pediatrics advised in 1998. Doctors blame TV for increasing aggression and obesity in children, now they add ADHD risk to early TV use.
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I don't know that I agree entirely with this article, a friend of mine has two school aged children, the t.v. has been on in their house constantly from the day the kids were born, both sat mesmerized in front of the t.v. and either have difficulties in school, in fact one is in the advanced B.A. program in her highschool. Both children speak two languages. I guess it could be considered an added risk factor if your children are already genetically predispossed to ADHD. I don't know?
I don't agree either. Face it, we live in a visual driven world. Video is a new language, just as important as the primary language one speaks.
Was there ADD or ADHD before television? I think so, it probably was just not diagnosed.
My son has grown up with Playhouse Disney and Thomas and Friends. His vocabulary and knowledge are astounding for a three year old!
TV is a tool. Like anything else it it's used properly then it can help in many ways.
If you pop your child infront of it all day and put on soap operas or seriously fast paced, scary cartoons, then you're heading for trouble.
Ame
I also disagree. My children picked up things from their Baby Einstein videos and Dora the Explorer before I thought it was possible to teach them. (Like the ABC song, Madison picked that one up very early from B.E.) Planting them in front of it all day every day is no good, but everything in moderation, right?? Oh, but I do think I've let them watch too much TV this winter, we were at the grocery store and they recognized the Brawny Man from the stupid commercials!! *blushing*
Very interesting. Thanks for the article.
I also saw an article linking tv watching to violence.
The more tv a child watched the more violent they were...
I have to find it...
http://web.ask.com/redir?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftm.wc.ask.com%2Fr%3Ft%3Dan%26s%3Da%26sv%3Dza5cb0d72%26uid%3D01B15EB6CE2825524%26sid%3D1DA555C146B7A3724%26o%3D0%26qid%3D7DE6EDF897FEA5478EBF494F3DD3223A%26io%3D4%26ask%3Dtelevision%2Bviolence%2Bchildren%2Bstudy%2Bbully%26uip%3D45719c6f%26en%3Dte%26eo%3D-100%26pt%3DChildren%2520Who%2520Watch%2520TV%2520More%2520Likely%2520to%2520Bully-study%26ac%3D24%26qs%3D16%26pg%3D1%26ep%3D1%26te_par%3D217%26te_id%3D%26u%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.mercksource.com%252fpp%252fus%252fcns%252fcns_news_article.jspzQzidzEz359245&bpg=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.ask.com%2Fweb%3Fq%3Dtelevision%2Bviolence%2Bchildren%2Bstudy%2Bbully%26o%3D0%26page%3D1&q=television%20violence%20children%20study%20bully&s=a&bu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mercksource.com%2fpp%2fus%2fcns%2fcns_news_article.jspzQzidzEz359245&qte=0&o=0&abs=Children%20Who%20Watch%20TV%20More%20Likely%20to%20Bully-study%20CHICAGO%20(Reuters)%20-%20The%20more%20television%204-year-old%20children%20watch%20the%20...%20that%20violence%20on...&•••=Children%20Who%20Watch%20TV%20More%20Likely%20to%20Bully-study&bin=&cat=wb&purl=http%3A%2F%2Ftm.wc.ask.com%2Fi%2Fb.html%3Ft%3Dan%26s%3Da%26uid%3D01B15EB6CE2825524%26sid%3D1DA555C146B7A3724%26qid%3D7DE6EDF897FEA5478EBF494F3DD3223A%26io%3D%26sv%3Dza5cb0d72%26o%3D0%26ask%3Dtelevision%2Bviolence%2Bchildren%2Bstudy%2Bbully%26uip%3D45719c6f%26en%3Dbm%26eo%3D-100%26pt%3D%26ac%3D3%26qs%3D16%26pg%3D1%26u%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fmyjeeves.ask.com%2Faction%2Fsnip&Complete=1
The news article below will expire on this website in 3 days.
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April 04, 2005
Children Who Watch TV More Likely to Bully-study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The more television 4-year-old children watch the more likely they are to become bullies later on in school, a U.S. study said on Monday.
At the same time, children whose parents read to them, take them on outings and just generally pay attention to them are less likely to become bullies, said the report from the University of Washington.
Bullying can now be added "to the list of potential negative consequences of excessive television viewing along with obesity, inattention and other types of aggression," said Frederick Zimmerman who led the research.
"Our findings suggest some steps that can be taken with children to potentially help prevent bullying. Maximizing cognitive stimulation and limiting television watching in the early years of development might reduce children's subsequent risk of becoming bullies," he added.
Previous research had indicated that emotional support from parents helps young children develop empathy, self-regulation and social skills, making them less likely to be bullies, said the report published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Researchers have also found that early gaps in learning and understanding may make children less competent in dealing with their peers and that violence on television leads to aggressive behavior, it added.
The Washington study reached its conclusions by looking at data from a study of 1,266 four-year-olds whose bullying - based on assessments from their mothers - was tracked at ages 6 through 11. Overall, about 13 percent the children turned out to be bullies.
The study also took into account the stimulation the children received as measured by outings, reading, playing and what role the parents played in teaching the children.
Whether the child ate meals with both parents, whether parents talked to the child while working were also measured, along with the average number of hours of television viewed.
© 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing, linking or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
I know someone who son had problems with aggression. She has cut his tv down to a hour a day.
Even if TV does change the way a child learns is that ness. a bad thing? As Ame pointed out we're in a world driven by video and images and the changes that TV watching in infants may (or may not) induce may not be an insidious disorder but simply an adaptation to learn in a world that's very different from what it was 60 years ago.
Maybe the problem isn't TV and kids with ADHD, maybe it's schools that basically have not adapted to the different styles of learning these kids have? I know my views are off to left field but I do wonder at all these studies that point to learning disorders, TV, video games, etc. when the problems are most apparent in school. Maybe it's the context of school that needs addressing and maybe that's the first place these researchers should be looking?
>No child under age two should watch television >at all, the Academy of American Pediatrics >advised in 1998. Doctors blame TV for increasing >aggression and obesity in children, now they add >ADHD risk to early TV use.
I just shake my head at this. If TV plays a role in these things it's only because parents, the community, school have left a big vaccuum in a child for TV to fill. TV may be a symptom but I really can't swallow that it's the cause.
ADHD occurs in ALL cultures whether or not TV exists. I am more apt to believe that children with ADHD are more drawn to TV and other media forms because the pace mimics the way their brain works. As far as the increase in dx's- I attribute that more to awareness and overdiagnosing than something like TV. ADHD is a very real disorder. Studies like this tend to belittle the difficulities for these children and adults. It also blames the parents- something which I have the ultimate disdain for. I didn't give my son ADHD; he was born with it.
My 10-year-old son has ADHD and has never had an interest in television or movies as a little guy or now. It doesn't have the attention span for passive things.
Very interesting comments Moms! I so like to hear different points of view, although most of you are saying the same thing  . I tend to agree with Laura about blaming the parents. My intial reaction was "Here were go, just one more thing we as parents are doing wrong".
I do think that our children should not watch t.v. indiscriminately, there should be limits concerning content and amount of time. I'm also not sure I buy into the bullying theme either. I guess watching aggressive acts on t.v. can lead children to be less than empathetic, but that's not the kind of t.v. I was thinking of when posting this. That being said, Feona I do appreciate having that article posted and the added element to this thread.
I am guilty of having the t.v. on quite a bit during the day and I let DS watch Clifford in his saucer while he drinks his smoothie and I take a shower. I was happy to have this information brought to my attention because I think as a family we could watch a lot less t.v. and spend a lot more time doing other things together.
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to hearing more on this topic.
Maybe the relationship between bullying and TV is that if a kid is watching a lot of TV then they are not interacting with other kids and developing social skills. The article says kids need to spend time with parents, but I also think they learn a lot from spending time with peers practicing their social skills. So, the problem isn't TV per se, but what they aren't doing.
Our kids don't have limits on what they watch, That said, we don't just leave them to it. We watch with them, talk, etc. They're becoming pretty discriminating viewers.
I think you're bang on Mommmie. TV is sort of the fallguy.
Interesting article. From my own childrens babyhood it doesn't seem to prove correct. My middle kid by far watched the most tv at the youngest age for long periods of time. I was on bedrest my last trimester and it was the only thing non active he liked. I remember commenting that my oldest child at age 2 wouldn't watch a 2 hour movie, but the middle kid would watch 2 in a row if I let him (and there were days I did). Officially my oldest is add, the middle one is not and he is very gifted.
I will say the most important thing I got from the article was how many kids have tv's in the bedrooms, my gosh watching from the crib?? I do think we need to recognize that tv is one of our choices of entertainment and just like anything else in moderation is probably fine.
I see big behavioral differences in my kids when they over watch, we turn it off pretty quickly. We usually have a tv free week about twice a year. I think we have to be careful with tv, it can be abused, just like anything else. And we have to be real, educational or not, hours upon hours a day can't be good when it is replacing other things like building with blocks, playing with friends, etc.
I thought of something watching my infant in the car today. When she's in her car seat and looking out the window, images are changing very fast, faster than on television. So, to apply the findings of the study, aren't we setting our kids up for ADHD by taking them for rides in the car?
Ridiculous, right? And that's what this study's findings are.
Ame
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