Cartoons and Children

This is often a highly debated topic, as some previous studies have suggested a possible link between increased television viewing and ADHD, while others have even shown a possible benefit to television viewing (shows such as Sesame Street and Dora).  Well, a new study has just been released that looked at memory and thinking skills of 4 year old children.  The study had three groups, one that watched a 9 minute segment of a fast-paced cartoon (SpongeBob), one that watched a 9 minute segment of a slow-paced educational cartoon, and one that drew pictures with crayons and markers.  The group watching the fast-paced cartoon fared very poorly on the thinking tests which followed.  What does this mean?  Well, it seems as though this study would imply that watching a fast moving TV show might affect a preschoolers ability to focus and concentrate.  As mentioned, there have been studies previously which came to a similar conclusion (albeit in different age groups).  We think the bottom line here is to heed the advice of the AAP and limit "screen time" to less than two hours per day.  That includes TV, video games, and computer usage.  And, when choosing what your preschooler can watch, perhaps try and stick with some of the slower paced more educational shows (such as those you may find on PBS, Nick Jr, Sprout, etc).  For more information on the study, click here.

Here is a nice agreement that your child can sign to limit TV to 2 hours a day: TV agreement