Culture: Baby TV

Is TV good for babies? Child psychologists call for a mass unplugging.

By Matthew Hutson, published on September 01, 2006 - last reviewed on May 20, 2008

Suckling on the Boob Tube

Is TV a Good Idea for Tiny Tikes?

At the risk of adding crib potatoes to families of couch potatoes, a new channel aimed at the elusive 0-to-3 set launched in May. BabyFirstTV, available via cable and satellite, offers brief, colorful educational excursions such as "Petey Paintbrush," "Safari Scrapbook" and "Play With Me!"

Brain booster or babysitter? The picture's unclear. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that two-thirds of kids 6 months to 6 years old watch the telly every day, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says kids under 2 should avert their eyes at all times. Despite wide parental praise for BabyFirstTV, child psychologists call for a mass unplugging.

Head 2 Head

Should kids tune in to BabyFirstTV?

YES: "The channel offers age-appropriate content with no commercials, violence or oversensory stimuli. Plus, it provides a new tool for parents and families to learn and interact together.

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"I believe that associations such as the AAP offer general benchmarks for parents to consider. But parents ultimately have the right to make the decisions that they feel will benefit their family." —Arthur Pober is chief educational advisor for BabyFirstTV.

NO: "Parents don't need BabyFirstTV to bond or interact with their children. In fact, as the recent Kaiser report suggests, parents tend to use screen media as a way of occupying children. Also, when it comes to babies, age-appropriate television is an oxymoron. There's no evidence that television (or any screen media) is beneficial for babies and some evidence that it may even be harmful." —Susan Linn is associate director of the Media Center of Judge Baker Children's Center.