Even having a TV on in the background may be bad for kids, a new study in Child Development shows. Having a TV on in the room cut by half the amount of time very young children played and focused on a given toy.
When the TV was on, kids of all ages played with a given toy — a jack-in-the-box, a baby doll, blocks, a toy telephone, a school bus with toy passengers — for about 30 seconds, on average. Without TV, it was 60 seconds,” writes USA Today ed reporter Greg Toppo. “Researchers say solitary play, especially with toys, offers many benefits. It allows children to practice planning ahead and develop cognitive skills.”
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