TV can make kids brighter... if mum and dad watch too

RATHER than making children square-eyed and unimaginative, television could actually improve their thinking skills, research suggests.

But this is only the case when children watch age-appropriate shows, and parents join in with helping them learn.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth and Paris Nanterre University analysed more than 100 studies on young children and screens over two decades.

The researchers conclude that shows like Sesame Street and Baby Einstein may help parents teach their children, by providing ideas for activities or encouraging them to work together to learn.

The experts warn longer screen time may be linked to slight delays in language acquisition, but evidence suggests television may not be harmful if parents comment on programmes and join in.

Co-author Dr Eszter Somogyi, from the University of Portsmouth, said: ‘Families differ in their attitudes toward and the use of media. These differences play an important role in determining TV’s impact.

‘Watching television with your child and elaborating on what is viewed can help enhance understanding, reinforcing learning during educational programmes.

‘Co-viewing can also contribute to the development of conversation skills and provides children with a role model for appropriate television viewing behaviour.’

Studies show children’s shows with a strong narrative, which address young children directly, like Dora the Explorer, are linked to higher language abilities in their young viewers. Sesame Street was associated with better learning of letters and numbers. But more complicated shows like Teletubbies do not facilitate language learning, according to the review in Frontiers in Psychology.

The researchers warn that, while parents may be tempted to use the television as a ‘nanny’, children under the age of two can struggle to relate television to the real three-dimensional world.

They may also have trouble understanding speech from a screen without adult guidance.

The review also concludes that leaving adult programmes on in the background while playing with babies distracts them from activities needed to learn words.

Dr Bahia Guellai, from Paris Nanterre University, said: ‘Television should be used as potential tools to complement some social interactions with young children, but not to replace them.’