Young children - how much TV is too much?

By Martin Merzer on 10/29/2010 @ 10:08 AM

A new study finds that young children are watching an average of 4.1 hours of television a day -- and some are watching more than five hours a day.

That grossly exceeds the recommended daily allotment of one to two hours of screen time, according to an article posted on the LiveScience website.

The recommendation is based on research linking increased screen time with adverse effects, including language lags, obesity, possibly aggressive behaviors and decreased academic performance, the article reported, basing that conclusion on the findings of Dr. Pooja Tandon of the Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington.

Her team looked at data grouped by child-care setting.

"Overall, children stared at TV screens 4.1 hours a day, including 3.6 hours at home and the rest in child care," the article reports. "Kids in home-based care showed the highest screen time, about 5.5 hours a day, with 1.5 of those hours in front of screens during child care. TV time for kids in commercial day cares was the lowest, at 3.2 daily hours. Kids cared for by parents only were exposed to 4.4 daily hours, and Head Start kids got 4.2 daily hours of screen time."

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