By: Carla Gregory
Summer 2010
CEPT 8102 Lifespan Human Development
I believe television is going to be the test of the
modern world, and that in this new opportunity to see
beyond the range of our vision we shall discover either a
new and unbearable disturbance of the general peace or a
saving radiance in the sky. We shall stand or fall by
television.
-E.B. White
Brain Development
 Neurons-cell that handles




information processing
Axons (carries signals
towards) and dendrites
(carries signals away) extend
from the neurons
These connections form
synapses or connections to
increase cognitive
development
From birth to eight months
children have 1,000 trillion
synapses
Synapses that are not used
are eventually lost and
pruned
-Santock,2008, p. 76
http://www.classbrain.com/artread/publish/article_30.shtml
Statistical Information
 69% of children under 3 watch television (Stamm,
2007)
 43% of children under 2 watch television everyday
(2007)
 Children under the age of two spend 1-2 hours a
day viewing television (Robb, 2009)
 Sales of “developmental” videos and DVD’s
produced for infants and children added up to $1
billion in 2006 (2007)
Media’s Effect on Infants
 Infants and toddlers learn better from live interaction
than from a video (Kirkorian, 2008; Robb, 2009)
 Viewing DVD’s designed for infants between the ages
of 8-16 months was related to lower language scores
(Barr, 2010)
 Higher levels of exposure to adult-directed television
during infancy associated with poorer executive
functioning skills and poorer cognitive and school
readiness scores(Barr, 2010)
Executive Functioning Skills
Range of Processes:
1) Inhibition (ability to refrain from performing an
action)
2) Working Memory
3) Ability to shift attention
4) Emotion Regulation
“These skills are critical for school readiness because
schools require children to control impulses, follow
directions, transition smoothly between activities,
and focus attention”
(Barr, 2010)
Television and DVD programs
 Baby Einstein
 Baby First TV (24 hour television for infants)
 Dora the Explorer
 Sesame Street
 Blue’s Clues
 Brainy baby
 Sesame Beginnings
(Kirkorian, 2008)
Salient Features
 By one year of age, children start to notice salient
features in television and videos
 Examples of salient features: body movement, eye
gaze, emotional tone, sound effects, music (Barr, 2008;
Kirkorian, 2008)
 These features drive younger children’s attention
 With age and experience, children pay greater
attention to informative features such as dialogue and
narrative and less attention to salient features
(Kirkorian, 2008)
Coviewing
 Infants can learn new words and object labels when
coviewing shows with an adult (Robb, 2009)
 The adult must ask questions and interact with the
infant for coviewing to be effective
 High-levels of infant responsiveness in the form of
pointing and imitation, during parent-child coviewing
(Barr, 2008)
 Higher degree of parental scaffolding positively
impacts attention (2008)
Media’s Effect on Preschoolers
 Positive effects on school readiness (Barr,
2010)
 Positive development of preacademic skills
and long-term academic success (Barr, 2010)
 Facilitates vocabulary acquisition (Barr,
2008)
 Enhances cognitive language (Barr, 2008)
Violence and Media




Before a child gets to high school, they would have
viewed 8,000 murders on television and videos
(Spock, 2004)
Decrease in children’s self-regulation (Kirkorian,
2008)
Association with symptoms of attention deficit
(2008)
Negative association between violent video games
and academic achievement (2008)
Other Concerns
 Direct link between obesity in children and
television viewing (Spock, 2004)
 10% of children who viewed television before the
age of three are more likely to show signs of ADHD
(Stamm, 2007)
 Displaces other activities believed to be more
beneficial such as outdoor play, homework, and
leisure reading (Kirkorian, 2008)
Suggestions for Media Time
 Start Slow
 Watch the clock
 Provide substitutes (toys)
 Watch with your children
 Use computer games in moderation
Conclusion
Media effects children in different ways depending
on the age of the child
 Limit television and videos for children under two
 Preschool age children benefit from
developmentally appropriate shows
 Limit all children’s viewing of adult content
programs
Bibliography
Barr, R., Lauricella, A., & Zack, E. (2010). Infant and Early Childhood
Exposure to Adult-directed and Child-Directed Television
Programming relations with Cognitive Skills at Age Four. MerrillPalmer Quarterly , 21-48.
Barr, R., Zack, E., Garcia, A., & Muentener, P. (2008). Infants' Attention and
Responsiveness to Television Increase with Prior Exposure and
Parental Interaction. Infancy , 30-56.
Kirkorian, H., Wartella, E., & Anderson, D. (2008). Media and young
children's learning. The Future of Children , 39-61.
Robb, M., Richert, R., & Wartella, E. (2009). Just a talking book? Word
learning from watching baby videos. British Journal of
Developmental Psychology , 27-45.
Santrock, J. (2008). Essentials of Life-Span Development. Boston: McGraw
Hill Higher Education.
Spock, B., & Needlman, R. (2004). Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care. New
York: Pocket Books.
Stamm, J. (2007). Bright from the Start. New York: Gotham Books.