Parent-child conversations in front of the TV stimulate children’s learning and exploration.
- 98% of homes have a television in the United States.
- Children spend an average of one to four hours in front of the television each day.
- Those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are more exposed to screens.
Too much time spent in front of screens is not good for children. Studies have shown that it harms their development, especially intellectual and cognitive. According to American researchers, it is possible to counter these negative effects while remaining in front of the television: it would be enough simply to speak. In the scientific journal Plos Onethey demonstrate that interacting with a child while looking at a screen helps develop their curiosity.
How to assess the curiosity of children?
The authors of this study assessed the hours of daily television exposure and the frequency of parental screen conversations among 1,500 preschoolers, and then measured curiosity from infancy through kindergarten. This was assessed through questionnaires sent to parents. They focused in particular on the children’s desire to learn new things, on their openness to new experiences, on their imagination and even on their adaptability.
The influence of socio-economic background
The more parents engaged in conversation with children during these TV times, the more likely these children were to have higher levels of curiosity when they reached kindergarten, the researchers observed. This finding was particularly marked among disadvantaged children, from a socioeconomic point of view. “Our findings reinforce the importance of conversation with parents in promoting early childhood development and curiosity“says the lead author of the research, Prachi Shah. He recalls that curiosity is an important basis in the development of children but also in life in general. Games or conversations easily stimulate curiosity in the youngest, but too much exposure to screens can reduce this exploration time.For Prachi Shah, chatting in front of the television is therefore a good way to preserve these conversational exchanges with children.
What are the rules for television?
It is generally recommended to avoid screens as much as possible for children under 3 years old. Beyond this age, television can be watched by children, but for a limited time and it must be content adapted to their age. In a communicated of 2019, the World Health Organization recommended that children aged 3 to 4 should not exceed one hour of screen time.
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