The ADHD-TV Controversy
Understandably, this study unleashed a firestorm of controversy. Parents of kids with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) worried: Should they beat themselves up over all those episodes of Dora the Explorer? Does TV-viewing cause ADHD? Should screens be banned all together? Sorting out the answers requires a closer look at the study itself and what it did and didn’t prove.
The lead researcher, Dimitri Christakis, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and co-director of the school’s Institute for Child Health, admits that his study was limited.
For years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urged parents to eliminate all TV viewing for children under age two. That changed in the Fall of 2016, when the AAP lifted the ban on screens for kids under the age of two with two big caveats: screens should be used in conjunction with human interaction and they should be used in moderation
青青河邊草 發表於 19-3-3 00:38
For years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urged parents to eliminate all TV viewing for c ...
The bottom line on TV: Cancel the guilt trip. Plenty of kids who watch little or no TV are diagnosed with ADHD, and an abundance of evidence points to a genetic connection. The researchers themselves stated that, based on their findings, TV does not cause ADHD.
Quick Viewer’s Guide
Time it: Limit TV time to no more than one to two hours per day.
Read all about it: Discourage random channel surfing in favor of informed viewing. Sit down with your child and a TV schedule, and encourage her to decide what to watch based on a show’s topic and the program description.
Do it together: When possible, watch TV with your kids. Talk about what you see and help them see the difference between the show and the commercials.
Eat TV-free dinners: Try not to eat meals in front of the television. Take the opportunity to spend time together as a family.
Lead by example: As your child’s main role model, curtail your own screen time if you expect him to do the same. Turn off your set and invite your child to go for a walk or help out in the kitchen