CHICAGO — “Arthur” and “Barney” are OK for toddler TV-watching. But not “Rugrats” and “Power Rangers,” reports a new study of early TV-watching and future attention problems.
Every hour per day that kids under 3 watched violent child-oriented shows, their risk doubled for attention problems five years later, the study found. Even nonviolent shows such as “Rugrats” and “The Flintstones” carried a substantial risk, though slightly lower.
But educational shows, including “Arthur,” “Barney” and “Sesame Street,” had no association with future attention problems.
The risks occurred only in children younger than age 3, perhaps because that is a crucial period of brain development.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for children younger than 2.
The study by University of Washington researchers was prepared for release today in November’s issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The study by Dr. Dimitri Christakis and Frederick Zimmerman was based on parent questionnaires. They acknowledge the data only suggests a link and isn’t proof that TV habits cause attention problems.
The researchers called a show violent if it involved fighting, hitting, threats or other violence that were central to the plot or a main character. Shows listed included “Power Rangers,” “Lion King” and “Scooby Doo.”
These shows also tend to be fast-paced, which may hamper children’s ability to focus attention, Christakis said.
The study involved a nationally representative sample of 967 children whose parents answered government-funded questionnaires about TV viewing in 1997 and their children’s behavior in 2002. The researchers took into account other factors that might have influenced the results, including cultural differences and parents’ education levels.
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