Too much TV?

No More Couch Potatoes


You've probably heard the dreary statistics: By the time the average American child enters first grade, he or she has watched more than 5,000 hours of television. By the time kids are 14, they've seen 11,000 murders on TV. And then there are the video game years, when thousands more hours are racked up playing games. Whether you think all of that screen time is downright dangerous or just turning kids into couch potatoes, you probably agree that it's a worry.
We live in such an amazing technological age that it's easy to have the TV on all of the time and not even notice, or have a child glued to a video game and lose track of the hours. But the truth is, to get TV watching and video-game playing under control, the whole family has to become more mindful. Limit the background noise and only turn on the TV when there are certain must-see shows. Make video game rules with daily time limits. This means the adults in the family really shouldn't turn on the TV the minute they walk in the door, or sit in front of the computer playing solitaire for hours. Set a good example. As time goes on, the whole family will start to appreciate and value "quiet time," when each person has time to think, read, or do something nonelectronic.
Establishing age-appropriate guidelines isn't easy, but here are some ideas. Preschool children are bubbling with so much creativity and imagination, they can stay occupied with toys and other activities. Most educators would recommend no video games and keeping TV time to 30 minutes a day, and matching that with as much or more reading-aloud time. Once kids are in elementary school, they may request time to watch TV or play video games. The best solution is to watch and play with your child, planning when you'll watch or play, what, and for how long. Three hours a week is plenty. In the later elementary years, kids have more independence (but also more homework) and should be limited to six or seven hours a week, experts say.
It's easy for children to confuse fact from fiction when it comes to what they're seeing on TV and in the video games they play. Instead of watching TV over dinner, use that precious time to talk with kids about the depictions of on-screen violence versus what happens in real life. Make sure your child is having enough adventures in the real world, which may make the "fake" stuff seem less exciting. Travel to museums and parks and sporting events. If a TV show or video game is on the agenda, try to watch/play together.
There is help out there. Many televisions or cable services allow you to restrict what your children can access on your TV. The TV industry and leading children's advocacy and education organizations, including the National Education Association, have created the TV Parental Guidelines to help you select appropriate programs for your child. And ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) can be found on video game packages.