New book: TV is even worse for kids than prevouisly believed.

[spidermama]

It's coming out of Thursday but is being previewed in some papers.

It's called Remotely Controlled and it has some pretty explosive assertions about how really terrible TV is for our brains (especially the under 3s).

Will you buy it/read about it?
Or turn the other cheek?

It's interesting that nearly everyone seems to have made up their minds on this subject already, and isn't interested in finding out any more about the effects of TV on our children's brains. Have those people who have decided TV is fine read up on it already and decided the good outweighs the bad? Do you think the scientific reports are all flawed, or do you just not want to know because you are going to let your kids go on watching it anyway?

FF, the effect of TV on children's brains has been known for a long time. This study is nothing new. Which is why most parents already regulate their children's viewing. It's called common sense.

speaking personally Franny I am adopting this position:

lalalala sticking fingers in my ears not listening

I'm not convinced the average person is aware of the physiological effects of TV, just that they think it's ok in moderation and 'never did us amy harm'. Have you read the book, then, Wordsmith? I thought it wasn't out yet. I would say it was common sense to be fully aware of the facts before making a decision, which is why I will be reading the book.

The brainwaves stuff intrigues me. We seem to have "good" vegging out/relaxed brainwaves (eg yoga) vs "bad" vegging out/relaxed brainwaves (eg from telly. I'm never clear if the good vs bad distinction is basically snobbishness (tv BAD books GOOD), or if there is some rigous research here. Also-how do we know these brainwaves are bad brainwaves? etc.

Like I say, I am NOT a tv watcher and would love some ammunition to persuade dp to let me ebay the telly

Any internet links to previews, Spidermama? Its just I have to wait 6 weeks for my book, cos of the other books I bought. Ta.

Yes hc, the brainwave thing does make it very easy to dismiss it all as crackpot.

Personally I think the 'good' effects of TV (e.g. it keeps kids quiet for huge periods of time) so far outweighs the bad for most people, that they just choose not to read about them, or believe what they read.

Or anyone have any links to the brainwaves research? Please?

The thing is, I never watched much tv and really I am a bit odd. Maybe my brainwaves needed some modification?

Merglemergle, there is a great book already out called "Set Free Childhood" which contains information about brainwaves.

Must go now, am tranquilising my child with audio tapes so I can stay on Mumsnet

ta frannyf.

That guy is speaking at the Steiner school near us in a few weeks!

Had avoided that particular book up to now as I disagree with the Steiner approach that the tv is animated by the spirit of Ahruman, an evil Atlantean deity (I think)-thus better kids don't watch it. However, I shall have another look at it now-think I did dismiss it a bit. Thanks. Not trying to be sarky btw.

LOL Merglemergle - well, I mean, if you will ignore the dangers of exposing your children to Atlantean deities, what do you expect?

Seriously, I hadn't heard of that. Too barmy to imagine. Stuff like that makes me hopping mad because it makes it too easy to dismiss the whole thing as crackpot.

But its truem franny, ahruman does animate the telly. Look, there's even a picture of him-, Ahruman has photo taken

(scroll down a bit, on the right).

PMSL - first thing I saw on that link was

"CHILDREN HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS TO SPEND TIME IN FRONT OF A TELEVISION SET OR COMPUTER SCREEN."

In big bold letters.

Do our children not watch videos in school anymore (educational ones). I know some of our lessons 'centred' round the watching a video - perhaps in Geography about the Sahara and desertification etc.

And at what age should our children learn about computers then? I thought they were a intrigual (sp) part of day to day life now, and anyone that wants to get anywhere in business these days has to know about them.

And have you looked at this page

"Thoughts from a contributing parent:

"For those evil parents who DO allow their children to watch television from time to time"

• gosh if those who let their child watch TV from time to time are "evil" what does thast makes the sorts of me!!!

If we were fully aware of all the facts about everything we would never do anything - drive a car (harmful emissions), cross the road even (we might get run over, send our kids to school at 5 (when some research says it shouldn't be till 7)... or do anything that modern society requires or that makes life worth living.

The point I was trying to make is that yes, obviously too much TV can turn our children's brains to mush - so don't let them watch too much! You as a parent have access to the on off switch surely! And watching a couple of hours of TV a day doesn't mean that kids don't also run around playing football, go swimming, do their homework, etc etc - it's not all or nothing!

QoQ you are obviously the devil's spawn!!!

Now don't shoot me but it does make me wonder when I make the following calculation:

A child spends ca. six and a half hours a day at school (including way to and from school). Add time spent on meals, homework, getting dressed/undressed...

plus two hours a day of TV. Where/when does such a child have time for anything else?

Well I don't know about you Emkana but my 5 yr old spends about 2 hours after school (3.30-5.30)and before tea just playing. he has tea about 5.30pm, does 10 mins or so of homework (he's only 5) then watches TV between 5 and 6.

And he doesn't go to school on Sat and Sun - that's 25 hours to fill!

And he watches CBBC from about 8am-8.30am while I get ready to take him to school.

I think the problem with TV is it GENERALLY isn't interactive - it's just a one way street of information. However, DD watches Dora & is now starting to interact & answer the questions, repeat the words. We have the baby einstein DVD's which she has always enjoyed & can name most of the animals. A friends little boy (3) wants to cook having watched Big Cook Little Cook. So don't think these are bad.
DD watches TV on a Sunday am when we read the papers, but have found that it makes her a little stir crazy - might be up to an hour, so will be re-thinking this next Sunday..

Will be checking out How it's made, what time is it on ?

Ref the background noise - isn't it better for the brain to have some lovely peace & quiet sometimes ?

Wordsmith, I know what you're saying, but if you get all the facts on something and feel strongly about it, it is perfectly possible not to swim with the tide: nobody has to watch tv (we don't), drive a car, or send their child to school age 5. The crossing roads thing....hmm, I'll get back to you on that one.

If you feel that you want to go along with the majority because it's awkward or embarrassing not to, that's fine, but be aware it is your choice - I do seem to function ok in modern society so far (although some people may like to differ ) and I certainly feel my life is worth living, thanks!

I really hope people reading this don't think that anyone who worries about TV is a Steiner oddball, who thinks their set is possessed by a demon. I am a perfectly nice oddball with no educational affiliations and the only time I worry about demonic possession is when my ds has a tantrum.

Whilst I agree that too much telly is a bad thing. I prefer my 2 1/2 year old not watch more than say an hour or two a day. And there are certain shows I forbid at all costs. But, there are shows that are good for her, too. For example, about 5 months ago when she was 2 yrs and maybe a couple of months, I stood in the kitchen, she looked at me adn counted to ten in Spanish. The ONLY place I can figure she picked this up is Dora the Explorer. Nobody around her speaks Spanish. This can only have come from telly. Of course 5 months on she has forgotten how to count in Spanish.

Haven't caught up on the whole thread but I think we should ask Professor Wotsit to do some similar reseach on MN. It's definitely addled my brain waves.

Tbh, I havent had time to read this whole thread, but I think a little tv can be a very good thing. My dd is only 15 months old, but she has a few videos she loves to watch, that I'd say are just as stimulating as a books. She has a wildlife video about lions and giraffes and zebras that she just loves, especially because she knows what they are through lots of books and trips to the zoo. Also a Tots Tv video that I find incredibly annoying, but she loves it because it shows them blowing bubbles and going swimming, bothh things she likes to do. She doesnt watch TV as such, but more because I seem to live in some kind of hole and can't get any reception! I think as long as children don't sit nose to nose with the screen and get up and do something elso when they want (usually about 15 minutes in miss wrigglebum's case) there's no harm done.

now this is interesting becaus I recently heard/read some research which suggested that television programmes aimed at pre-schoolers are much more educational than programmes aimed at the over 5's

Apparently children under three have higher relative IQ's (and i do mean relative) than compared to older children. The study was carried on groups of children who all watched the same anount of television each day. And it noted that the quality of programming was much poorer for the older age group (think Pokemon, Digemon crap type programmmes)

I wish I could remember where I heard this!

Anyway, who gives a damm? we don't put our children infront of the TV because we think it's actually GOOD for them, we do it because we are too lazy/too busy/too hungover to entertain them ourselves.

ROCK ON, EDIE McCREEDY!

Move to Spain if youre undeceided about how much telly your kids should watch. It's so crap here we hardly ever watch it. Mind, ds has watched the same Thunderbirds vid 3 or 4 times a week for months and is now obsessed with explosions, rockets and fires!

haven't read whole thread, but after a lovely weekend on the wild breton coeast with nothing but seagulls waves and lighthouses for company, me and dp have decided to get rid of the telly for a few months Our precious evening time will no longer be spent slumped in a semi-coma in front of the box!!!
We will allow vids for ds though - I think they can be stimulating and he loves the music. It's also the only other source of Welsh for him here in Brittany atm. He was watching about 30mins a day, but it'll probably be less from now on, as we've decided to make a bit more of an effort to avoid telly and talk more!