Courtesy of Shelley Swenson
Wakulla County Extension
FCS/EFNEP Agent II
By Diana Converse
Many parents at one time or another have put a young child in front of a television for a few minutes of household peace. Making a routine of this, however, may create long-term problems. Previous research has linked children’s television watching to obesity and lower academic achievement, yet recent studies reveal that the number of very young children exposed to television is quite high. What makes this alarming is that a child’s brain is developing very rapidly during the first few years of life. The ability to mentally focus, attend, and sustain concentration over a period of time is also developed in early childhood. Extensive television viewing may hinder early brain development. Read full article…