by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: June 30, 2010   Last Updated: July 11, 2010

When most parents today were growing up, there were televisions in their homes, but these weren't even close to their primary sources of entertainment. There were so many other things to do and discover that television was used as a last resort when their friends were all out of town or the weather forced them indoors for the day. As technology has advanced, it has brought both pros and cons that have affected the lives of our children.

One of the things that children have begun to depend on more and more for their entertainment has been the TV. While this is not all bad, there are definite disadvantages to an excess of television viewing. It affects the health of our children physically, mentally, and emotionally. The following are some reasons that parents should find alternatives to television viewing for their children.

*Mental Health

Your child's mental health can be negatively affected by an over-abundance of television time. When they are watching television, the brain is allowed to simply take in the information being fed to it, rather than having to actively participate in decision-making or the creative process. TV viewing is a passive activity for the mind and with enough of it, the mind can become sluggish. This can affect the child negatively as they may begin to have a difficult time processing information given in other formats, such as reading or in the classroom.

*Physical Health

When children are watching television, they are doing so in a seated or reclined position, basically just stagnantly staring at the picture on the screen. As television viewing hours increase in the life of a child, so does their weight. Obesity in children is an ever-growing problem and can cause a variety of health problems which can affect them for years to come. In order for children to be healthy, they need to have activity. This is not what is happening when they are watching television.

*Emotional Health

Television has certainly changed from the days of "Little House on the Prairie" and "Leave it to Beaver". Children are extremely succeptible to the ideas and morals that they view on the TV. The programming that they are taking in today includes an inordinate amount of violence, sex, filthy language, and even drug use. The more that young people see these things, the more hardened they become to them. They are not shocked by things that really should be shocking to them and they may even begin to think that "normal" behavior is what they are watching occur on their favorite programs.

While there is nothing wrong with children watching some television, there are many other things that they should be doing, as well. The phrase, "all things in moderation" is a wonderful one to apply to your child's TV viewing time. Moderation is very important in every aspect of our lives.  Help your child to achieve a balance between active and inactive activities.  Encourage your child to actively play and socialize in ways besides just television viewing and you will be increasing their mental, physical, and emotional health.

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