Is Television Good or Bad for Children's Learning?

Every parent I’ve met has a strong opinion on whether television is good or bad for children. My estimate is about two-thirds say it’s bad. Of the other one third, half say it’s good and the other half says it doesn’t matter.

Of those who say it’s bad, majority let their kids watch television anyway. About ten percent do not let their kids watch any television at all. Among conservative evangelical Christians, about one in four parents forbid television for young children.

In case you’re wondering where I stand, let me say it clearly that I believe television is an excellent tool for children’s learning. Now at this point I expect that half of my readers have decided to abandon this article. And if you are still with me, let me explain the ways I use television to accelerate my children’s learning.

Those commercials are bad for your kids.

My rule for young kids is simple: television channels that show commercials every 15 minutes are off limit. They can watch movies using videotapes or DVD, or programs aired by Public Broadcasting System (PBS). They can watch History Channel or other educational channels, but only if the commercials are shown at the end of the show, and never in the middle.

The problem with commercials is, because they are consistently short, they effectively shorten children’s attention span. Attention span is a person’s ability to follow and concentrate on a discussion or line of story.

Those with short attention span have learning problems because they cannot easily follow threads of discussion or story. This is a problem of many kids in school, church, in families, or even among their own peers.

A second reason for keeping commercials away from young kids is their mind get programmed to expect instant gratification. Almost ninety percent of commercials say the same thing: Buy this and you will feel much better, instantly. Children who expect instant gratification experience learning difficulties.

However, total abstinence from commercial may affect your children’s ability to laugh at jokes of other children. Kids who never saw commercials, like kids in families without any television at all, tend to have less sense of humor than others. It may be that an explanation is because parents who don’t buy television tend to be very strict. Or it may be that they keep missing the punch lines in jokes, most of which are borrowed from television commercials.

Those movies are good for kids.

One of my excitements with television, when coupled with DVD technology, is having educational movies on demand. It’s like having interesting teachers and they live with you.

Movies are entertaining because they stimulate multiple senses. Educators have always known that stimulating as many senses as possible is the key to maximizing learning. Facts are easier to remember. Concepts are easier to connect. And interest level is much higher. Because of these, movies are great tools for teaching.

Because of bad experiences with early Hollywood movies, many churches developed a distaste for movies. Until now, many pastors still preach against watching movies. Most churches, however, have changed their attitude. Bible stories are now taught to children using movies. Hollywood has been cashing-in on this trend by producing Bible-based movies like Prince of Egypt and Joseph King of Dreams.

Unlike commercials, movies have the effect of stretching children’s attention span. This is a natural effect of following the story until the end and relating more facts together.

Children’s communication abilities improve when they discuss a movie with other children.

Children’s analytical abilities also improve when they analyze plots of movies by comparing and contrasting them. I prefer movies that are series because children can analyze the development of story from movie to movie.

The biggest benefit to children is the increase in awareness and vocabulary. Movies can generate in kids greater knowledge and interest in people, places, technology, ideas, process, even science. Children who watch history movies tend to set bigger goals for themselves.

You are the principal of your home school

While television technology has tremendous power to advance your children’s learning, it also has the power to teach bad things, and bad behavior, to your children.

There was a time when a private school did not require me pay the $300 monthly tuition for my son Alex. He was only six years old then. The reason was that everybody loved him and, because he was such a role model of good behavior, his presence was actually helping the school. His influence was so positive, enrollment in the school was increasing.

It’s amazing that a six year old can have such an impact in school. But not for long. Everything changed when I got sick with flu for two weeks. A friend, who also stayed in our house, loved to watch horror movies. So everyday, for two weeks, my son watched those bad movies.

By the time my son returned to school, he was a different person. He wanted to imitate the stars of the horror movies. One day I received an emergency call from the school. My son had wrecked havoc by pretending to butcher other kids, and he tried to redecorate the place by making it look like those he saw in the horror movies.

The school was shocked to see such transformation. I was also shocked, and so was my son. He eventually lost those evil urges but we also lost our special privileges in school. We both learned a valuable lesson: “Television has power because it can shape the mind, so use it wisely.”

My son is an adult now. Like in his young days, he still watches a lot of movies. But he carefully selects the movies he would see by first reading reviews and consulting others. And when he finds a truly good one, he calls me to say, “This is a good movie, Dad. Very educational and entertaining at the same time.”

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7-29-2006

This is the second of a series on Accelerated Learning Techniques

About the author: Ray Colorado is president of PinoyTexas.com and Filipino Business Directory (PinoyDirectory.com). He is also a Youth Worker at Wesley United Methodist Church in White Settlement, Texas. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas and can be reached at raycolor@aol.com.