The Value of Reading Over Television

Studies show that school age children spend a large amount of time watching TV or playing video games, instead of reading or spending quality time with family.

Television has become the electronic babysitter for a great deal of American families.  Most children are introduced to television before they begin school.  Children have televisions in their rooms and most of the time the televisions are on in the homes while no one is watching.  Studies have found that television watching is linked to obesity, aggression problems, and affects sexual behavior in children.  Parents are worried about the usage of television, but they are not setting rules or limitations on what shows the children can watch, how long they can watch proper shows, or when they can watch the proper shows.  

A child, who reads often, becomes a successful reader.  The time that most children spend in front of the television could be spent reading an interesting book.  This can raise the child’s reading fluency and academic achievement level.

Parents can pay close attention to television ratings to see which show best suits their children.  Parents can prevent children from watching too much television by setting a good example, keep the televisions out of the children’s room, set and enforce television rules, help children make good television choices, turn the television off when no one is watching, and watch the television together as a family.  

Television can be an educator and at the same time it can poison a child’s mind if an adult, who has the child’s best interest at heart, does not monitor television.