Could having media in their bedrooms be bad for your kids?
That’s what recent research coming out of Iowa State University seems to suggest. But it’s not so much the presence of TVs and video games that causes a problem. Rather, it’s how easily kids can now access this kind of entertainment.
The lead author of the study and professor of psychology at ISU, Douglas Gentile, explains that location is the most important factor in this equation.
With easy access to TV, video games, and other types of media, children are less likely to spend time participating in more beneficial activities, like reading, doing homework, and sleeping.
This led to a “ripple effect” of children not doing as well in school as well as higher rates of obesity and video game addiction.
The study, which appeared in the journal Developmental Psychology, also found that when children had access to media in their rooms, they were more likely to view or play violent shows, movies, or games. This led to more physically aggressive behavior.
According to Gentile:
“When most children turn on the TV alone in their bedroom, they’re probably not watching educational shows or playing educational games. Putting a TV in the bedroom gives children 24-hour access and privatizes it in a sense, so as a parent you monitor less and control their use of it less.”
Therefore, less parental control means that kids get away with watching and playing more content their parents may not approve of.
While this study focused on television and video games, the repercussions of these findings can go much further.
After all, with social and digital media now constantly at our fingertips, kids have an even easier time accessing media than ever before. And while that may be good when they are searching the internet for help with homework, it doesn’t help them when they are alone in their rooms.
Parents are concerned, too. Gentile said that the parents he talked to are worried about a variety of problems that could stem from too much media use in the bedroom. While some were understandably worried about what kind of content their kids could be exposed to, others were even uncomfortable about their kids answering texts or other notifications in the middle of the night instead of sleeping.
And the rates of media in kids’ bedrooms are on the rise.
In fact, Gentile says that it’s now normal for children to spend 60 hours a week in front of a screen. The studies he cited show that over 40 percent of children 4 to 6 years of age now have a television in their rooms. That statistic is even higher for children over 8 years of age.
So, what is Gentile’s advice to all the concerned parents out there who want to make sure their kids aren’t being negatively influenced by the ubiquity of digital media in their lives? He suggests that parents never even provide a television or game console in their child’s room. He claims that this method is easier than giving the child a TV and then taking it away. Though it might result in a fight at the time, it is more beneficial for your kids in the long run.
If you’re trying to make the transition with your kids, be sure to help them find other forms of entertainment.
Puzzles, crafts, and reading can all be fun alternatives for your kids. They may not like it as much as their favorite video game right away, but you will be building a positive foundation for them that will a lifetime.
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