By: Carla Gregory Summer 2010 CEPT 8102 Lifespan Human Development

I believe television is going to be the test of the modern world, and that in this new opportunity to see beyond the range of our vision we shall discover either a new and unbearable disturbance of the general peace or a saving radiance in the sky. We shall stand or fall by television. -E.B. White

Brain Development Neurons-cell that handles information processing Axons (carries signals towards) and dendrites (carries signals away) extend from the neurons These connections form synapses or connections to increase cognitive development From birth to eight months children have 1,000 trillion synapses Synapses that are not used are eventually lost and pruned -Santock,2008, p. 76

Statistical Information 69% of children under 3 watch television (Stamm, 2007) 43% of children under 2 watch television everyday (2007) Children under the age of two spend 1-2 hours a day viewing television (Robb, 2009) Sales of “developmental” videos and DVD’s produced for infants and children added up to $1 billion in 2006 (2007)

Media’s Effect on Infants Infants and toddlers learn better from live interaction than from a video (Kirkorian, 2008; Robb, 2009) Viewing DVD’s designed for infants between the ages of 8-16 months was related to lower language scores (Barr, 2010) Higher levels of exposure to adult-directed television during infancy associated with poorer executive functioning skills and poorer cognitive and school readiness scores(Barr, 2010)executive functioning skills

Executive Functioning Skills Range of Processes: 1) Inhibition (ability to refrain from performing an action) 2) Working Memory 3) Ability to shift attention 4) Emotion Regulation “These skills are critical for school readiness because schools require children to control impulses, follow directions, transition smoothly between activities, and focus attention” (Barr, 2010)

Television and DVD programs Baby Einstein Baby First TV (24 hour television for infants) Dora the Explorer Sesame Street Blue’s Clues Brainy baby Sesame Beginnings (Kirkorian, 2008)

Salient Features By one year of age, children start to notice salient features in television and videos Examples of salient features: body movement, eye gaze, emotional tone, sound effects, music (Barr, 2008; Kirkorian, 2008) These features drive younger children’s attention With age and experience, children pay greater attention to informative features such as dialogue and narrative and less attention to salient features (Kirkorian, 2008)

Coviewing Infants can learn new words and object labels when coviewing shows with an adult (Robb, 2009) The adult must ask questions and interact with the infant for coviewing to be effective High-levels of infant responsiveness in the form of pointing and imitation, during parent-child coviewing (Barr, 2008) Higher degree of parental scaffolding positively impacts attention (2008)

Media’s Effect on Preschoolers Positive effects on school readiness (Barr, 2010) Positive development of preacademic skills and long-term academic success (Barr, 2010) Facilitates vocabulary acquisition (Barr, 2008) Enhances cognitive language (Barr, 2008)

Violence and Media Before a child gets to high school, they would have viewed 8,000 murders on television and videos (Spock, 2004) Decrease in children’s self-regulation (Kirkorian, 2008) Association with symptoms of attention deficit (2008) Negative association between violent video games and academic achievement (2008)

Other Concerns Direct link between obesity in children and television viewing (Spock, 2004) 10% of children who viewed television before the age of three are more likely to show signs of ADHD (Stamm, 2007) Displaces other activities believed to be more beneficial such as outdoor play, homework, and leisure reading (Kirkorian, 2008)

Suggestions for Media Time Start Slow Watch the clock Provide substitutes (toys) Watch with your children Use computer games in moderation

Conclusion Media effects children in different ways depending on the age of the child Limit television and videos for children under two Preschool age children benefit from developmentally appropriate shows Limit all children’s viewing of adult content programs

Bibliography Barr, R., Lauricella, A., & Zack, E. (2010). Infant and Early Childhood Exposure to Adult-directed and Child-Directed Television Programming relations with Cognitive Skills at Age Four. Merrill- Palmer Quarterly, Barr, R., Zack, E., Garcia, A., & Muentener, P. (2008). Infants' Attention and Responsiveness to Television Increase with Prior Exposure and Parental Interaction. Infancy, Kirkorian, H., Wartella, E., & Anderson, D. (2008). Media and young children's learning. The Future of Children, Robb, M., Richert, R., & Wartella, E. (2009). Just a talking book? Word learning from watching baby videos. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, Santrock, J. (2008). Essentials of Life-Span Development. Boston: McGraw Hill Higher Education. Spock, B., & Needlman, R. (2004). Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care. New York: Pocket Books. Stamm, J. (2007). Bright from the Start. New York: Gotham Books.