KiwiParent from Parents Center NZ Test Volume | Page 20

of play, even when children appear
to be paying little attention to the
TV. Play is vital to child development
and the potential cumulative
impact for children exposed to
many hours of television is of
concern. The researchers concluded
that the combination of these
effects on children’s play and the
decrease in parent-child interactions
made background television “an
environmental risk factor in children’s
development”.

outcomes by the time these
children were around ten years
old. These included decreases in
maths achievement, classroom
engagement, and time spent in
physical activities; and increases
in the consumption of soft drinks,
snacks, and higher BMIs.
This study concluded that “the
long-term risks associated with
higher levels of early exposure may
chart developmental pathways
toward unhealthy dispositions in
adolescence”. They argue that
“population-level understanding
of such risks remains essential for
promoting child development”.

Effects on
language
A number of studies
have found adverse
effects on various aspects
of children’s early language
development.
A study of 15–48-month-olds found
that those who began watching
television before 12 months of age,
and who watched more than two
hours each day, had six times the
likelihood of language delay than
children who watched less television
and began watching it when they
were older. They also found that
children who watched television
alone were more than eight times
as likely to have a language delay
compared with children who
watched television with a parent or
caregiver.
Children need human interaction in
order to learn, with a parent who
is attuned to their ability level and
responsive to their communicative
attempts. It is in this context that
they will begin to learn the “give and
take” of language.
A 2007 study conducted at the
University of Washington (the press
release from the university which
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