Television May Cause Slow Learning In Children

Consistently having your TV on might be bad for your child's initial learning abilities. Television is basically being used as a substitute caregiver and reduces the number of words babies hear, learn and to vocalize with. Small children miss at least 1000 words per hour from adults in homes due their attention being drawn to television. Increasing technology may be more harmful than beneficial to children, especially in homes that rely on recorded story books rather than a parent reading their child to sleep or households with televisions in children's rooms.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington says "Adults typically speak 941 words per hour and our study found adult words are almost completely eliminated when the television is on." These results may explain the association between infant TV exposure and delayed language development. Over 30 percent of American households report leaving the television on throughout the day, even when no one is watching. The type of shows that attract the attention of children are generally fast paced and many times, the characters speak too quickly to be completely understood by the child. This may have a direct impact to language acquisition and possibly even early brain development.