What effects can watching TV have on your baby’s developing brain?
Is it really okay for kids to watch television, even when they're watching educational shows? Read on to learn more.
These days, you might notice some parents letting their babies watch educational shows on TV. However, does this mean that it's okay for babies to watch television at their young age?
What effects can watching TV have on a child's brain?
Watching TV by itself can't damage your child's brain, however, face-to-face interaction is very important for babies since it helps their developing brains create connections.
If you constantly let your baby watch TV instead of taking the time to talk to your child, their development might be delayed since they might miss out on actual human interaction.
Additionally, even if you let your baby watch educational videos, they will have a hard time understanding what they're really watching, since they might not even know what the images they're seeing represent.
What if I just turn on the TV while they're not watching?
Sometimes, people like to turn on the TV to act as a background noise while they're doing chores, or taking care of their baby. However, this actually makes it even more difficult for babies to learn since the noise can distract them from learning new words and from observing how the people around them interact with each other.
It also makes it hard for babies to concentrate, since turning the TV on can mess their attention span and make them easily lose focus when playing with a toy. Having a short attention span isn't good for your child since when they start studying, they'll have a hard time trying to focus.
What should parents do?
What parents need to do would be to focus on face-to-face interaction and make an active effort to connect with their child. It's important for their baby to see how people interact and talk with each other so that babies can easily learn from adults.
Talking to your child constantly can help your child develop connections in their brain which can help stimulate their development. Playing games and encouraging your child to be creative also helps their growth and can even make them learn even faster.
It's important for parents to create an environment that's conducive to the growth and development of their kids since a good environment is one of the most important things that parents can do for their babies.
*This article first appeared on theAsianparent Philippines
Source: parenting.com
READ: Television and Kids: How do I stop my child from watching TV?