At what age can children watch TV? We need to see clearly

Many parents don’t know how old their children should be before they can watch TV, nor do they know how long their children should watch TV. Here we clearly tell you that you have to wait until your baby is two years old before he can watch TV, but the time spent watching TV must be limited to two hours a day.

1. How old can children watch TV?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 not watch television. Older children should not watch TV for more than 2 hours a day. In addition, some experts recommend that the television should be turned off during breastfeeding and meals, and that a television should not be placed in the room where infants and young children live. Some experts also suggest that children under the age of 3 should not watch TV more than twice a week, and each time should not exceed 15 minutes. Parents should increase direct communication with their babies. Babies are very sensitive to television when they are about one and a half to two months old. An 11-month-old baby can already see and understand certain scenes on TV. Once he sits in front of the TV, he will stare at it very quietly. However, if this continues for a long time, it will be bad. The baby will react to the mechanical sound and will not respond to the mother's voice. Television produces mechanical sounds, while human sounds are physical sounds. If the baby's brain is allowed to adapt to mechanical sounds, it will become completely unresponsive to the mother's physical voice. This is an important cause of autism.

2. Things to note when children watch TV

1. Keep a certain distance between your baby and the TV, generally 4 to 6 times the diagonal of the TV screen. When the screen is brighter, the viewing distance can be appropriately farther; when the screen is darker, the viewing distance can be appropriately closer. 2. It is best to let the baby sit directly in front of the TV. If sitting on the side, the viewing angle should not be less than 45 degrees. 3. The TV should be placed at an appropriate height. The center of the TV screen should be at the same level as the baby's eyes or slightly lower. 4. When watching TV at night, do not turn off all the lights. Instead, keep the room at a certain brightness, such as turning on a 3-8 watt lamp, but do not let the light shine directly on the screen. 5. Do not watch for too long each time. Generally, you should take a break after half an hour and let your baby look at the distant view to avoid excessive eye fatigue and affect vision.

3. Benefits of watching TV for children

(1) Watching TV can develop the baby's perception ability, cultivate attention, and prevent shyness. (2) Watching TV is one of the effective ways of early education for infants and young children. (3) Television promotes children’s language development and expands their vocabulary. (4) Watching TV develops children’s brains.

4. What are the adverse effects of unhealthy TV watching on children?

1. It is not conducive to the baby's vision development. Babies' eyes are still developing and their vision is not yet perfect. The constantly flashing light from the TV can cause refractive errors, strabismus, and esotropia, especially when viewed from a large TV screen at close range. The damage is even greater. 2. The electromagnetic waves emitted by the TV when watching TV are also harmful to the baby's health. 3. The rapid switching of TV images can cause attention disorder, making it difficult for children to concentrate on one thing. 4. Watching TV is a passive experience that will cause children to form a "lack of vitality" brain activity pattern, which is directly related to the dullness of intellectual activity.