Guest blog: new research shows TV doesn't affect children's behaviour

[KateMumsnet]

You might have seen reports in the news today about new research which appears to show that watching TV has little impact on children's socialisation and behaviour. Here, the report's author Dr Alison Parkes explains more about what her research does (and doesn't) reveal about how screen-time affects children's development.

Have a read of her post, and let us know what you think. What's 'too much' TV, in your book? Do Dr Parkes' findings fit with your own experience? Do we worry too much about screen-time?

Let us have your thoughts, and if you blog on this subject, do post your URL on the thread.

[Tee2072]

I have no limits on screen time for my son. I don't limit mine, why should I limit his?

The study doesn't surprise me at all.

[Bearandcub]

Can't comment, busy watching Cbeebies.

[Overreactionoftheweek]

Haha, yep cbeebies is helping poorly ds stay happy so it's been on almost the entire day.

I watch a lot of tv but like to think I'm a fairly sane and successful person so not surprised that all the scaremongering is nonsense...nice to see it though and feel slightly less guilty that I know every theme tune on cbeebies

[issypiggle]

we switch between cbeebies/disney junior and what i wanna watch, but most of the time the tv is on as background noise, dd will play with toys and and occasionally will watch something if it's a programme she enjoys.

this stems from when dd was at a cm.

i'm glad i'm not the only one who knows the theme tunes, but won't admit that i find myself singing them randomly when at work or out shopping.

[MiaSparrow]

That's really interesting and reassuring for those of us who let their little ones watch a bit of telly. DD likes CBeebies and a bit of Dora on Netflix but she also loves books, is very advanced with her speech and is the most sociable little chatter box going. It would be interesting to read a comprehensive report on TV for the under-twos, though. DD watched a bit of telly from 14 months-ish, as I'm sure lots of kids do but there have been numerous posters on MN telling us that it actually kills off babies' brain cells. (!)

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest. My two have always watched a fair amount of TV and they are bright, sociable and behave well most of the time

I will qualify this though by saying that I think there is a world of difference between good quality British programs, and American TV with more adverts than program. I'm not even keen to leave mine in front of something like Nick Jr for more than about an hour, but CBeebies or a DVD they can watch freely as far as I'm concerned.

[issypiggle]

it can't be that bad for them, dd will quite happily get involved and will tell me what happend in the programme. so i'm all for them watching tv. gives me some time to do house work.

[IslaValargeone]

I'd be more interested in research on screen time with pre schoolers.
There won't be many people who will say anything other than 'Yipee!' at this research.

[cassell]

From her post it doesn't sound as if there's anything really new about this research and it doesn't really show what it is being made out to show IMO.

What I gathered from it is that children who come from families with poor parenting tend to watch tv more and that those children do show an increase in problems - well no surprise there. Children who watch more than 3hrs a day show an increased likelihood of problems again no surprise there. It seems to me that the only group of children for whom tv does not (necessarily) result in problems are children who have engaged interactive parents. Well that's hardly news either.

I think it's a real shame that this is being manipulated to suggest that tv is fine for children.

Personally I restrict screen time, my 4yo watches max of an hour a week (and that's with dh). 11mo ds2 doesn't watch any. I notice a complete change in behaviour in my 4yo if the tv is on, he becomes much less interested in things around him, unable to concentrate on anything else, gets easily distracted etc.

I really don't think there is any need for regular tv for children and certainly not anywhere near an hour a day let alone 3 or more. The odd programme or DVD maybe but that's it. It's lazy parenting IMO.

[FryingNemo]

Why type out a reply when cassel has said it for me. I loathe the box. I loathe the empty expressions on my kids' faces when they watch. I see a difference in how my kids behave when they watch tv and that's enough evidence for me.

[issypiggle]

you might see expressionless faces on your children, does make me wonder what you watch with them.

my dd gets involved, and can remember things if you ask her to recall them. she picks up things and regularly asks me questions on things and we sit and learn more from things shes picked up.

especially as we don't just have childrens tv on all day everyday, we have a mixture of things on.

my dd asks for countryfile on a sunday and we record it for her. so please explain to me how that is lazy parenting and going to cause problems, especially if she asking for it

[Tee2072]

Yes. It's lazy parenting. So what?

[Flisspaps]

I have it on most of the time if I'm not minding little ones.

DD is 3yo, she's very sociable, has learned LOTS that I would have struggled to get across to her and she's quite advanced wrt language skills. I do prefer CBeebies to Disney or Nick Jr though.

[Thewhingingdefective]

Not a surprise. Children learn behaviour from examples we set, surely?

When I hear my children shouting at each other and using phrases they have clearly picked up from me, I know it is my cue to behave better. I do fall in to the old 'do as I say not as I do' trap.

[montmartre]

Haven't read the link, so only going off the telegraph article, and i was interested that families lower down the socio-economic scale watch more television. Given that the average outcomes for children on FSM are lower than those for children from families higher up the socio-economic scale, I am wondering if there are any links there? (I'm not implying any causality, just interested in the correlation)

My children don't watch television, because we don't have one- they don't pester for it, because they've never seen us watch it really. We did go to a relative's so they could see the olympic opening ceremony, and the royal wedding, and occasionally we watch a film on dvd on the computer. (About once ever 6 weeks)
They are perfectly sociable, recognised letters/numbers at an early age, read early etc- nothing to do with a lack of screen time, they have well-educated parents who were fortunate enough to have the choice of spending time with them when small.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

Doesn't surprise me either. Mine watched quite a bit of telly as pre-schoolers and are just fine now. In fact their teachers often comment on how knowledgeable they are about all sorts of things and try and give me the credit. I'm afraid a lot of it isn't down to me at all but down to the telly watching (although clearly I controlled what they watched and answered questions of which there have been many). It hasn't affected their socialisation or their ability to concentrate. I certainly don't recognise this image of a child with empty expressions on their faces. Mine were never like that. If you chose the right programmes they engage with what is on the television. Of course the other thing is that they don't sit there completely mesmerised because they are used to watching it. They aren't deprived of it so they can take it or leave it. I think the empty expression is probably the result of the restriction placed on it rather than a fault with watching television itself.

That said mine only watched quality children's programmes (no adverts) and documentaries - natural history, history, easier science programmes like Bang Goes the Theory.

[FryingNemo]

Issypiggle - the programmes they tend to watch are good quality programmes suitable for children.

[issypiggle]

totally agree with you big,

frying are you saying that the programmes on cbeebies for example aren't suitable for children?

[harryhausen]

I agree with you too Big.

Mine are now 8 and 6. We've watched Cbeebies (and now Cbbc) together from an early age. I think these channels are great. Horrible Histories and the Cbeebies/bbc bite size website are alone worth the license fee!

As a family we make an event of watching something like Dr Who or Britain's Got Talent.

At school 8 yr old dd is doing exceptionally well. The teacher is impressed with her knowledge, creativity and sense of humour. Dd now watches some programmes just for a sheer 'Brain empty' but I really feel she needs to this.

Ds loves TV and film and many of his toys are tied in with this - Dr Who, Star Wars, Octonauts etc. however I'm impressed with the way he takes the original story/premise and makes up new stories and characters spending hours role playing and being creative.

As long as TV is alongside parent quality time, outdoor activities, social activities etc I can only see it as a positive thing.

[Iggly]

This study looked at 5 year olds. I was concerned as other research said it was bad for under 2s (not from a behavioural aspect though I think) - do this doesn't address that question.

I still won't let my 16 month old watch tv but my 3 year old can. However I find it does affect his behaviour in the short term eg he gets grumpy and tetchy if he's watched too much and not had a run about. I get that "cabin fever" feeling too!

[Iggly]

I know what you mean about empty expression - DS's face goes slack when he gets sucked into something! This is the octonauts or mike the knight or some such!

[sleepyhead]

I don't like having the television on as background noise, but that's just personal preference. Dh will tend to have it on whether he's watching it or not so ds has been exposed to both.

I'm far more concerned by there being adult daytime programming (I'm talking about Two and a Half Men, Scrubs, Friends etc rather than This Morning & Jeremy Kyle) on in the background than ds watching CBeebies as I don't think these programmes are suitable for small children. Even having News 24 on as blanket programming can sometimes have things in it that I don't want him to hear.

Ds is good at self-limiting his viewing and I've never deliberately restricted it, no maximum time or anything. He tends to watch the programmes he likes and then switches off and does-something-less-boring-instead (remember that?). I don't think it affects his behaviour but it definitely affects the themes of his play and inspires a lot of imaginative play, just as books do.

[Gemd81]

BabyTV channel 623 on sky is a great bedtime soother and a brill distraction for tantrums!

[notcitrus]

It does seem to affect children in different ways - ds loves telly and it's a great motivator for him, but after 10 min he's bouncing around the room, enacting the show with toys, and often after a while turning it off.

Whereas dn who watches programmes a bit less often is totally different, slack jawed and totally mesmerised, hard to get his attention, and getting no energy burnt off while ds leaps around him. I would limit tv a lot more for him.

I do record programmes so ds watches mainlyy those, and so far age 4 he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animals and sea creatures but has seen tv ads about twice in his life. Suspect this will be harder once he figures out how to turn the tv on as it needs 3 buttons, but he's learnt to read a bit so he can find the recordings he wants - they're in alphabetical order.

Tv can correlate with ignoring your child and not talking to them much, but doesn't have to.

[MajaBiene]

It matters more what children do when they are not watching TV imo.

If the TV is on constantly and a child just watches it to the exclusion of interacting with adults, playing with other kids, running around outside, reading books, painting, baking, swimming etc etc then of course it is going to have a negative impact.

If a child watches TV (even a couple of hours a day!) but in the other 8-10 hours they are awake they are active, playing, interacting - don't see the problem.