Television Exposure Harms Linguistic Development In Children

"Young children and their caregivers use fewer words and share fewer conversations when they're listening to the TV, researchers have found.

In the June issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, researchers reported that each hour the TV was on was associated with an average decrease of 770 words the child heard from an adult during a recorded session, after adjusting for the child's age.

"We've known that television exposure during infancy is associated with language delays and attentional problems, but so far it has remained unclear why," said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington Medical School.

"This study is the first to demonstrate that when the television is on, there is reduced speech in the home. Infants vocalize less and their caregivers also speak to them more infrequently."

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages television or video viewing before the age of two, suggesting that parents focus on interactive play to encourage development including acquiring language."

ORIGINAL SOURCE: CBCNews.ca