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Does Your Baby Have A TV?
from the start-'em-young dept
A new study has come out, saying that kids at a younger and younger age are spending an increasing amount of time with screen-based technologies such as computers or televisions. In fact, approximately 25% of children under the age of two have television sets in their bedrooms. One thing that is suffering is book reading. Of course, some of the computer work could also be reading, but the study seems to assume that isn't the case. The researchers are particularly upset about the number of kids under the age of 2 who are watching TV, suggesting that it might not be healthy for kids so young to spend so much time watching TV. "They should be spending time with siblings, with parents, with mud." according to one of the researchers. Who knew mud had such educational value? If this study had only been around when I was 2 years old, maybe I wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble: "Look, mom, sure I'm covered in mud, but at least I'm not watching TV." The researchers also had issues with the plethora of "educational" TV shows and software products - many of which are more designed to turn children into consumers than to educate them.
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My kids definately do not have TV's in their bedrooms. And they read a lot. Probably not a coincidence. TV is fine as long as the parents are engaged, the problem is too many parents use it as a babysitter. They both are haedcore computer gamers though. I've convinved myself that games are not as harmful as TV :)
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Hygiene Hypothesis
There is evidence (stated by serious medical scientists) that excessive hygiene during early childhood leads to increased incidence of asthma or allergies, because the immune system is unchallenged by environmental stimuli and developes autoimmune disorders. Playing with mud, increasing bacterial exposure is good for health.
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TV addiction
Have the shrinks "discovered" (i.e. invented) such a thing as "television addiction" yet?
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overindulgence
I didn't even get a record player (not a stereo, a "record player") in my bedroom until I could afford to buy one with my own money. Parents today give their kids every little indulgence so they can keep up with the Joneses. A coworker of mine bought a $200 pair of sneakers for her high-school age son last Xmas even though she's a single mother with three kids. I've never owned a pair of shoes that cost over $100 in my life even when I could afford to blow that kind of money on shoes if I so desired. Parents have forgotten how to say "NO" when their kids whine about what "all the other kids at school" have.
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fdsfsd
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Nahh
I think this is bullshit!
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