Resource Database

Parents Rely on TV To Help Them Perform Balancing Act, Researchers Say

Meltz, Barbara F.

Published: May 25, 2006, The Boston Globe, p. A3

Description

Researchers already know that TV viewing is huge; 83 percent of children under 6 watch an average of two hours a day, and 43 percent have sets in their bedrooms. Now they know why: Parents see TV as the way to manage busy schedules, keep the peace, and facilitate routines such as meals and bedtime. Only secondarily do parents see TV as educational, but that’s enough for them to feel “less guilty and more grateful,” said Vicky Rideout, a vice president for the Kaiser Family Foundation, which conducted the study.  Its release couldn’t be timelier. Less than two weeks ago, BabyFirstTV launched a 24-hour channel aimed at children under 2, heating an already lively debate on the merits of TV viewing by young children. Earlier in the month, the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against the popular Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby DVDs, arguing that there is no basis to the contentions that they are educational. Weeks before, Sesame Workshop was criticized for launching “Sesame Beginnings,” a DVD series aimed at children as young as 6 months and their parents.

Topic(s): Baby Media, Media Use & Access

User Type(s): Advocate, Educator, Policymaker, Researcher

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