Experts tell parents to keep infants from TV

Experts tell parents to keep infants from TV

Sari P. Setiogi
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A number of parents recently complained about persistent decline
in the performance of their children in class in their first year
of elementary school children.

A psychologist found that children were facing difficulties in
concentrating during classes, and after a series of consultations
she concluded that the problem stemmed from children's addiction
to television.

"All the children have been exposed to TV since they were very
young," the psychologist, Mayke S. Tedjasaputra, said on
Saturday.

She said education experts in the United States had
recommended that infants under two years should be kept from
viewing television programs.

"Watching TV could over stimulate infants by colors, sounds
and moves. While their nerves are not yet well-developed, all of
those give negative impacts instead," she told a seminar on
stimulation for children held by Mead Johnson.

Pediatrician Hartono Gunardi supported the thesis.

"The first two years of a child's life is the golden period as
this time marks the growth and development of a child's brain. A
child needs good nutrition and stimulation at this stage," he
said.

During this period, Hartono said, children are in dire need of
healthy and positive interaction with their peers and adults to
develop good language and social skills.

"Learning to talk and play with others is far more important
than watching television," Hartono asserted.

"It is very important to talk with your toddlers as it would
improve their verbal skills. The earlier an infant starts
speaking, the better intelligence level it will have," he said.

A survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found
pre-school children who watched educational TV programs did
better in reading and math tests than children who did not watch
television. However, for younger children it's a very different
story.

Hartono also said until two years of age, it would be better
for children to learn only the mother tongue language.

"Teaching infants more than one language at an early age might
confuse them," he told The Jakarta Post.

Mayke also suggested that parents refrain themselves from
condemning or swearing in front of their children.

"Children are good copy cats. They would repeat the words
easily. Children who are accustomed to their parents swearing and
quarreling would become aggressive because of the negative
stimulus," she said.

Parents are not supposed to abuse their children as well,
according to Mayke.

"Children who are abused by their parents would suffer
deviating nerve development that would halt stimulus. Later in
life they would not be able to think to solve problems," she
said.