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Our vision is to found a Kindergarten through 5th grade public charter school, opening in 2013, which brings the advantages of a Waldorf style education to Northeast Los Angeles.
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Television :(

Posted: June 10th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Child mental health | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

The only reason i don’t have a ‘Kill Your Television’ sticker on my bumper is because I don’t know where to get one. I try not to proselytize to my parent friends who find nothing wrong with TV in their homes, and of course I understand what a handy tool an age-appropriate DVD, TV program, or a YouTube can be when you just need a little time to get something done or on a road trip or airplane flight.

photo credit MikeWebkist

Lately, fellow development team member Julia P. has been getting me all riled up about television’s assault on children’s minds. It’s becoming more and more difficult to keep my dirty secret that we don’t watch TV in my house.

Especially when I run across an article like this – I read a brief snippet in a magazine on recent research that links toddler aggression to too much television exposure. I followed the link they gave and found the root article online, which I share with you here – and especially you, Julia P!

“TV is not a benign influence. It does have impact,” said Richard Gallagher, director of the Parenting Institute at the New York University Child Study Center in New York City. And, while content may impact children, he pointed out that children’s behaviors may also be affected by the “opportunities lost.”

That about sums it up for me; not only does television have a negative influence, it also keeps kids sitting indoors passively when they could be outdoors playing in the sunshine.

What do you think? Please share with me your links to other research and articles about the hazards of television for developing minds. Opinions and research of dissent are totally welcome too. Let’s hear it.

One Comment on “Television :(”

  1. 1 Julia P. said at 3:53 pm on June 10th, 2010:

    Interesting article. Well worth the read. Thanks for posting, Jenn.

    I want to point out, as is mentioned in the article, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends absolutely no screen time for children under two years of age. Screen time has been shown to affect the neurological mapping of children’s minds.

    A great deal of effort has been put into making children’s lives safer (car seats, bike helmets, etc.), but where is that same concern for a young child’s mind?

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