The Effects of TV on Child Development

The Effects of Television on Child Development

■ Although children watch a lot of TV and it can influence
their behavior, research suggests that watching
TV in moderation is not likely to impair children’s
cognitive growth, academic achievement, or peer relations.
Cognitive development and experience watching
television lead to increases in television literacy during
middle childhood and adolescence. Televised violence
can instigate aggressive behavior, instill mean-world
beliefs, and desensitize children to aggression. TV also
presents stereotypes that influence children’s beliefs
about ethnicity, race, and gender.
■ On the positive side, children learn prosocial lessons
and put them into practice after watching acts of kindness
on TV.
■ Educational programs such as Sesame Street have been
quite successful at fostering basic cognitive skills, particularly
when children watch with an adult who discusses
the material with them and helps them to apply
what they have learned.
Child Development in the Digital Age
■ Children benefit, both intellectually and socially, from
their use of computers.
■ Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) often improves
children’s basic academic skills, especially when basic
drills are supplemented by discovery programs that are
presented as games.
■ Word-processing programs foster the growth of writing
skills; and computer programming facilitates cognitive
and metacognitive development.
■ Despite the advantages associated with children’s use of
computers, critics fear that
■ violent computer games may instigate aggression and
■ harm may result from children's unrestricted access
to the Internet.
■ Research suggests that exposure to the Internet benefits
children academically, socially, and in their healthy
biological development.
■ Concerns about Internet exposure can be addressed if
parents
■ learn the technology;
■ place computers in rooms the family frequents;
■ plan family activities in advance and include the teen;
■ limit the teen’s online time; and
■ monitor online activities.