Television viewing is a major activity and influence on children. Children in the United States watch an average of three to four hours of television a day.

     While television can entertain, inform, and keep our children company, it may also influence them in undesirable ways. Time spent watching television takes away from important activities such as reading, school work, playing, exercise, family interaction, and social development. Children who watch a lot of television are likely to have lower grades in school, read fewer books, exercise less, and be overweight.

     Parents can help by doing the following:

     ♦   Don’t allow children to watch long blocks of TV.        

     ♦   Help them choose suitable programmes. Children’s shows on public TV are appropriate, but soap operas, adult sitcoms and adult talk shows are not.

     ♦   Set certain periods when the television will be off. Study times are for learning, not for sitting in front of the TV doing homework.

     Make TV viewing an active process for child and parent!

1.  How much TV do children in the United States watch on an average day?

     ________________________________________________

2.  What are the good effects of television on children?

     ________________________________________________

3.  What may be the bad effects of watching too much TV on school work?

     ________________________________________________

4.  Should parents let their children watch TV for a long time?

     ________________________________________________

5.  Which programmes are appropriate for children and which are not?

     ________________________________________________

6.       What can parents do to limit their child’s screen time