When disc
ussing the subject of ‘TV use’ with parents, a number of questions arise spontaneously: when is it possible to start letting children watch TV? For how long? What to propose?
As early as 2001, the American Academy of Paediatricians advised against exposing children to screens before the age of 2 because children need something else, such as developing fine motor skills and exploring their surroundings through their senses....
From the age of 2, the use of TVs or screens can be permitted (at the parents' discretion) but with certain considerations: we strongly advise you to avoid their use during meals or as background while doing other activities.
At the same time, we would like to suggest that time in front of the TV should be a shared moment, to be spent together child and parent; a moment in which the parent accompanies the child in his or her enjoyment and then talks about it together, observes the child's emotional reactions and at the same time controls the timing of the projection.
With respect to exposure time, paediatric recommendations call for no more than 30 consecutive minutes up to 3-4 years of age, which is extended to one hour maximum after this age and up to 6 years.
One can therefore choose either animated TV series, which are structured in short episodes and allow for easier management of the viewing time, or fragment a longer animated film (asking the child to tell us what he or she remembers of the piece of story seen before).
We would also like to give some thought to the viewing medium: TV or interactive screens?
Various studies reflect on the fact that interactive screens have greater potential than TV. In contrast, tablets and smartphones are often used as if they were small portable TVs. Therefore, in our opinion, it is better to choose television, which promotes a more comfortable posture and does not force the eyes to focus on just a few centimetres.