Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America

Audrey Stokes in Educating Parents, Research | 11/08/2011

• Children under 2 spend twice as much time watching TV and videos as they do reading books. Nearly half (47%) of infants watch TV or DVDs, and those who do spend an average of nearly two hours in front of a screen. Comparatively, parents spend an average of 25 minutes a day reading to babies.


• Nearly half of all 0-8 year-olds have a bedroom TV. 42% of all 0- to 8- year-olds have a TV set in their bedroom, including one in three (30%) children under the age of 2.

Some new interactive computer programs can be more stimulating than TV shows, but none of these products designed for kids under 2 have been proven to make children smarter or more school-ready. A study at the University of Washington released in August 2007 suggests "developmental" DVDs and videos can actually delay toddler language development.

Click here for more information about these findings and to read the rest of the report.

Superbowl XLVI - Patriots vs. Giants

No Harm, No Foul: Watching Sports as a Family

Between baseball, soccer, tennis, and endless highlight reels, you're probably spending loads of time rooting for your favorite teams in front of the tube. And let's be honest: Your kids are watching with you.

Passion for sports might cause you to bend your usual screen-time rules. Highlights of the season so far make a strong case for giving televised games a thumbs up.

If you're usually careful about your kids' screen time, then the big game can be an exciting occasion -- and something to savor instead of stressing over.

Five ways to enrich your family's sports watching. Click here for more