Pediatricians Suggest Limits on TV
By DAVID BAUDER, AP
NEW YORK (AP), Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po have something to say to
pediatricians: Back off, docs. The distributor of ``Teletubbies,'' the only
television show aimed at children younger than 2, says the American Academy of Pediatrics'
advice to keep those youngsters away from the tube is unrealistic for today's parents.
``It's a bunch of malarkey,'' said Kenn Viselman, president of the itsy bitsy
Entertainment Co., which distributes the British series on PBS stations.
The academy said research shows babies need direct interaction with parents and
other caregivers for healthy brain growth. Watching TV may also interfere with
interaction that helps develop their social, emotional and cognitive skills.
Pediatricians should advise parents to keep children's rooms ``electronic
media-free,'' the academy said in a report published in this month's issue of the journal
Pediatrics.
During routine visits, doctors should begin asking how children of all ages use
TV, videos and computers, the report said. It even urged pediatricians to set an example
by turning off the television in their waiting rooms.
``I don't think this takes into account the way parents raise their children
anymore,'' Viselman said. ``Parents use TV in three ways - as an educator, a treat and a
baby sitter. That's not going to change, and this report is not going to change it.''
``Teletubbies,'' which premiered last year in the United States, features four
colorful characters with a TV set implanted in their stomachs. They use the cooing voices
that toddlers are used to hearing from adults and constantly ask questions designed to
pique the curiosity of young viewers.
Viselman said there's nothing wrong with shows like ``Teletubbies'' and
educational programs. Parents should instead avoid letting their kids watch ``The Jerry
Springer Show,'' he said.
But an expert in children's TV said even ``Teletubbies'' creates problems,
claiming that PBS gave some parents the false feeling that their children would be missing
something important if they didn't watch.
``It's preposterous to put children under 2 in front of the TV,'' said Peggy
Charren of Action For Children's Television, a group that lobbies for quality programming
for kids. ``You should wait as long as possible, because once they get into it, it's
awfully hard to turn it off.''
Brown Johnson, a senior vice president at Nickelodeon, said the academy's report
``very consistent with what we're trying to do. The cable network has programming
aimed at children aged 2-5, but nothing for toddlers.
That's partly because research shows that most children need to be at least 2 to
follow stories on television. Nielsen Media Research, which measures TV viewing,
also doesn't include children under age 2 in its research. So there's no financial
incentive for advertiser-supported networks to reach this audience.
``Any message that gets parents to spend more face time with their kids,
especially when they're babies, is a wonderful thing,'' Ms. Johnson said. ``An electronic
device can never take the place of a human being.''
