While it is important to understand the negatives of too much viewing, there are a number of benefits, depending on what shows you allow your child watch.
Cons:
1. There are plenty of shows readily available that aren’t suitable for your child, with some showing scenes of a violent and sexual nature. If watching unsupervised, your child can stumble across them without realising that is it not suitable.
2. Too much television viewing has been shown to cause obesity, as it takes away from their want to run around and play, and many consume unhealthy foods while sitting there.
3. If they are doing their homework while watching television, your child is not going to retain as much information as they would if they were sitting in a quiet, distraction-free room.
4. They can have trouble concentrating as they become used to watching things in a fast-paced environment.
5. Being exposed to certain shows can cause your child to become aggressive when asked to do something or when required to handle certain situations.
Pros:
1. Certain shows like science programmes can actually educate and inform your children. In fact, according to some studies, educational shows can help develop maths and reading skills.
2. Nowadays, children lead very busy lives often having little or no time to simply relax. However, watching non-violent, age-appropriate cartoons for 30 minutes can give them a change to de-stress.
3. Nature, animal and discovery shows are a great way to introduce your child to the world in which they live and to understand different ways of life.
4. The earlier your child starts to learn a new language the easier it will be when they start to get that bit older. Shows like Dora the Explorer are a great way to help your youngster with simple, everyday foreign words.
5. Certain campaigns targeted at children, like the Safe Cross Code, are often shown between shows and are essential for your child’s safety.
