Today, children's television viewing habits are an important issue brought about by the digital age. Children grow up with television and other digital media that provide access to many educational and entertaining contents. However, experts emphasize that this media use should be managed in a balanced and conscious manner. In this article, we will look for ways to create healthy media habits for families by examining expert recommendations on television viewing time in children.
Television Watching Time in Children: It is known that using media appropriate to children's developmental periods has positive effects on their mental and social development. However, excessive media consumption can have negative effects on children's health. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to determine their children's television viewing time and to be careful in choosing content. Expert recommendations that regulate children's media use from the first years onwards guide families. Now, let's take a closer look at expert recommendations regarding television viewing time in children.
1. Recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a leading organization offering clear advice on children's media use. According to the AAP's recommendations:
- Children under 2 years old: Watching television is not recommended. The best education for this age group is provided with interactive games and children's books.
- Children aged 2-5: Total media time per day should be limited to one hour. Quality, educational content should be preferred.
- Children aged 6 and over: Families should choose age-appropriate content for children and limit daily media time. Additionally, children should be encouraged to spare time for other activities.
2. World Health Organization (WHO) Standards
The World Health Organization provides general recommendations on media use to support children's physical and mental health. According to WHO recommendations:
- Children under 2 years old: No media use is recommended.
- Children aged 2-5: Daily media time should not exceed one hour.
- Children aged 6 and over: Daily media time should not exceed 2 hours.
3. Perspective of the Turkish Pediatric Association
Turkish Pediatric Association is also an important reference point in child health. The recommendations of the association are as follows:
- Children under 2 years old: No media use is recommended.
- Children aged 2-5: Daily media time should not exceed one hour.
- Children aged 6 and over: Daily media time can be between 1-2 hours, but attention should be paid to the quality of the content and the child's daily activities.
4. Family Communication and Content Selection
Experts recommend giving importance to family communication while watching television with children. In addition, care should be taken to ensure that the content children watch is age-appropriate, educational and values-supporting programs.
Balanced and Conscious Use
In our article, we discussed expert recommendations on television viewing time in children. The common opinion of important organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization and the Turkish Pediatric Association is that children's media use should be managed in a conscious and balanced manner. It is especially recommended that children under the age of 2 do not use any media, and that the daily media time of children between the ages of 2-5 should not exceed one hour.
As a result, it is important for families to monitor their children's media habits, be meticulous in choosing content, and turn the media time they spend with their children into quality interaction. This conscious approach, taking into account the individual characteristics of each child, will help children gain a healthy media consumption habit. By taking expert advice as a guide, families can help their children acquire healthy media habits and contribute to their safe and conscious growth.
