A new study shows that young children’s exposure to violent content on television can have harmful consequences on their development in adolescence.
- According to a recent Ipsos survey, 1-6 year olds spend an average of 6:08 a.m. on the Internet and 6:07 a.m. watching television per week; 9:04 a.m. and 9:08 a.m. for 7-12 year olds; 5:48 p.m. and 8:55 a.m. for 13-19 year olds. Screen consumption time in general is on the rise.
- “No screens before 3 years”, recommend most pediatricians.
Action films, glorified villains, use of force… The content of the small screen can be violent, even for the youngest, such as French children aged 1 to 6 who watch it 6 hours a week. And this is not without consequence on their long-term cognitive development: according to a new study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatricsbeing exposed to violent television content from early childhood increases the risk of suffering from psychological disorders and having difficulties in school at the onset of adolescence.
Violence on screen from 3 years old, “emotional distress” at 12
As part of their work, researchers from the University of Montreal have scrutinized the statistics of nearly 2,000 children who are part of a national Quebec cohort. They first examined the content considered violent that children watched on television between the ages of 3 and a half and 4 and a half – a particularly critical period in the development of the brain – then took stock of their psychosocial and school progress when ‘they reached the age of 12, at the end of sixth grade. All in cooperation with parents and teachers.
“We wanted to see the long-term effect of typical early childhood exposure to screen violence on normal cognitive development”summarized in a communicated Professor Linda Pagani, lead author of the study. Answer: Boys and girls who have been exposed to “typical violent television content in their childhood” were more likely than others to experience, in their future, “increased emotional distress”, assures the researcher. They also showed “decreased classroom engagement and academic achievement and motivation by the end of sixth grade.”
Television normalizes violence in social interactions
Do problems when entering college therefore have their origins in early childhood? “Young children tend to identify with characters on television and see everything they see as real”tries to explain Linda Pagani. “They are vulnerable to humorous portrayals of glorified heroes and villains who use violence as a justified way to solve problems.”
In addition, repeated exposure “to fast-paced, adrenaline-inducing action sequences and engaging special effects, may reinforce beliefs, attitudes and feelings that habitual violence in social interactions is ‘normal'”, according to the researcher. Jessica Bernard, co-author of the study, adds: “Repeated exposure to a hostile and violent world populated by sometimes grotesque creatures could trigger fear and stress and cause these children to perceive society as dangerous and frightening.”
So many elements that can make it difficult to adapt to school. The solution would be to unplug the TV more often (and let’s not talk about the Internet…). “Being exposed to more appropriate social situations [que les écrans] can, however, help them develop social skills that will be useful later and will play a key role in their success”according to Linda Pagani.