Abstract
Language development is a complex process that takes place during childhood. Many educationists and theorists encourage parents to ensure their children engage in different activities. Many children are watching television for many hours. This practice makes it impossible for them to develop the best interactional and language skills. This term paper explores how the effects of watching television can be detrimental to language development.
Introduction
Television presents numerous ideas and information to different people. However, every TV channel encourages more people to watch without engaging in any meaningful conservation. Many children are exposed to television before celebrating their second birthday. Too much television makes it impossible for children to interact with their age-mates.
This situation explains why parents should monitor their children. Parents should also “encourage their children to play with their friends” (Schiller, 2010, p. 26). Such activities will “help them to develop new competencies and skills” (Wartella, Richert, & Robb, 2010, p. 119). The practice will ensure every targeted child develops the best skills. This paper examines how television affects language development.
Learning Development in Children
Background Information
Television is one of the best sources of information and ideas. According to Schiller (2010, p. 28), “the information obtained from different TV channels can have beneficial impacts on the lives of many children”. The information equips more children with different concepts and ideas. Some “age-appropriate learning programs can encourage more children to understand the issues associated with the surrounding environment” (Close, 2004, p. 8).
Many children will be unable to interact or communicate with their friends. This development makes it impossible for them to perform well in school (Close, 2004). The individuals also find it hard to communicate with their teachers and guardians. Studies have also shown that “social talk and one-on-one conversation will make it easier for any children to develop the best skills” (Close, 2004, p. 5).
A study by Close (2004, p. 6) “observed that a two-way conversation would make more children competent decision-makers and communicators”. The targeted babies will also be able to improve their interpersonal skills. Children who watch TV for many hours will face numerous challenges. The children will be unable to comprehend different concepts. They will also become timid and unable to develop the best communication skills.
The individuals will take long before developing the best language competencies. This situation explains “why a large number of parents are worried about the number of hours wasted through TV-watching” (Wartella et al., 2010, p. 121).
According to Wartella et al. (2010, p. 122), “many children acquire new competencies whenever engaging in different adult conversations”. Every toddler will be able to improve his or her language skills. They will also be ready to interact with more people in society. These findings explain why parents should involve every child in their conversations.
Many researchers have also explored the impacts of different television programs. A large number of children who watch TV for many hours will encounter different challenges. They will not develop the best language skills. This situation explains why social interaction is a powerful practice.
Every child should engage in different activities with his or her age-mates. The practice will equip them with better concepts. Babies can also “learn to speak after engaging in different social activities” (Wartella et al., 2010, p. 123). Parents and guardians should, therefore, ensure their children engage in various social activities.
How TV-Watching affects Language Development
Television steals a lot of time from children. It is agreeable that many babies and children watch television for many hours. Different scientific studies have examined the negative effects of television on language development. According to Schiller (2010, p. 31), “the television affects the cognitive, mental, language development, and social skills of many children”.
Studies have also explored how the practice discourages a large number of children from embracing new words. Television also makes it impossible for different babies to engage in friendly conversations. Such children “will also play less” (Schiller, 2010, p. 27). These babies will have underdeveloped interactional skills.
Many children tend to have poor academic outcomes. Such babies spend a lot of time watching television. This behavior “affects the child’s ability to socialize or engage in different games” (Schiller, 2010, p. 28). Many children have been unable to perform well in school.
This development explains why parents should watch TV with their children. The practice will encourage more children to “communicate, ask questions, and make appropriate decisions” (Close, 2004, p. 8). This strategy will ensure every child develops new skills. The child will also be able to deal with his or her learning difficulties.
Parent-child communication is a powerful practice that supports the language needs of many babies. Television decreases the time shared between parents and children. According to Edgar (2010, p. 11), “conversational exchanges will decrease significantly whenever children watch television for long”.
The level of vocalization decreases significantly whenever a child is watching television. This development explains why many children are unable to realize their potentials. Television-viewing also discourages more parents from interacting with their children. This practice makes it impossible for many children to develop the best language competencies (Schiller, 2010).
Every content or information on the screen will have detrimental impacts on many children. Television is a powerful medium that discourages many people from interacting with one another. A large number of parents will not interact with their children whenever the TV is on. This fact explains why many children have been unable to develop the best cognitive skills (Jussoff & Sahini, 2009).
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has identified the unique challenges associated with TV-watching. According to AAP, prolonged exposure to television will affect the skills developed by different children. The agency has explained why “TV does not improve the visual-motor and language skills of a child” (Schiller, 2010, p. 28).
Different studies have encouraged guardians and parents to turn off their televisions. This approach will support the educational goals and needs of many children. This practice is “essential because babies and television cannot mix” (Edgar, 2010, p. 13).
Television might support the educational needs of children above the age of three. However, the “educational benefits of television for individuals below two years of age are deniable” (Edgar, 2010, p. 13). Television makes it easier for many parents to complete their household chores.
Many educational programs on different TV channels do not produce the best outcomes. Babies below two years tend to have different cognitive abilities. Such children “will also have underdeveloped language skills” (Jussoff & Sahini, 2009, p. 154). Some educationists have encouraged the use of different educational TV programs. However, the agreeable fact is that the approach cannot produce the best outcomes.
Several studies have explained how young children can gain new skills from their colleagues. Many children below the age of 2 tend to imitate their parents and friends. They will also pronounce different words and use them during their conversations. The individuals will also acquire new competencies that can support their educational needs.
A proper learning process emerges whenever a child engages in various problem-solving exercises (Edgar, 2010). Some of these “exercises include games and sporting activities” (Edgar, 2010, p. 13). The child will encounter real experiences and ideas. This practice will eventually make every child successful.
A child who sits in front of a TV screen for many hours will not acquire new skills. Television does not present evidence-based concepts and competencies to a child. The child might also watch inappropriate TV programs or discussions. This exposure discourages children from practicing their new ideas. These children will also become addicted to various programs (Edgar, 2010). This kind of addiction makes it impossible for many children to engage in different learning activities.
According to Edgar (2010, p. 11), “children below 2 years “acquire new skills within a short time”. Such children will also refine their motor skills within a short period. These individuals should also engage in various activities in order to widen their motor skills. Many analysts and sociologists have examined how television results in developmental delays.
The child will take long before gaining new competencies and ideas. These analysts have supported the use of play in order to improve the language skills of different children. These activities will ensure every child interacts with his or her colleagues. The child will be able “to understand and explore things from a realism point of view” (Close, 2004, p. 8).
Parents and teachers should ensure every child is exposed to different language practices. This practice is critical because “language development is closely associated with exposure and interaction” (Close, 2004, p. 8). Children should interact with their relatives, parents, and teachers in order to develop the best competencies.
Television kills the level of participation and interaction. Television makes it impossible for many children to interact with their family members. This fact explains why “television affects the development of many children” (Jussoff & Sahini, 2009, p. 154). Television is impractical because it does not focus on the needs of many individuals. Many TV programs “do not have unique viewers or target customers” (Jussoff & Sahini, 2009, p. 154). This fact explains why a large number of children do not benefit from such programs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the effects of watching television are detrimental to language development. Many children who watch television for many hours develop unique attention problems. Such children are also poor listeners. They take longer to make positive decisions. Close (2004, p. 9) believes that “such issues might not have immediate impacts on the child’s competencies”. However, the agreeable fact is that the individual will be unable to achieve most of his or her educational goals.
The “affected children will take longer to learn speech” (Jussoff & Sahini, 2009, p. 156). Live conservation will make it easier for many babies to develop the best language skills. Parents and guardians should encourage their children to engage in different social interactions. They should also ensure their babies do not watch TV for many hours. It is necessary for these babies to interact with other people. This strategy will ensure every child develops the best language competencies.
Reference List
Close, R. (2004). Television and Language Development in the Early Years: A Review of the Literature. National Literacy Trust, 1(1), 1-41.
Edgar, P. (2010). Television, Digital Media and Children’s Learning. Web.
Jussoff, K. & Sahini, N. (2009). Television and Media Literacy in Young Children: Issues and Effects in Early Childhood. International Education Studies, 2(3), 151-157.
Schiller, P. (2010). Early Brain Development Research Review and Update. Brain Development, 1(1), 26-30.
Wartella, E., Richert, R., & Robb, M. (2010). Babies, Television and Videos: How Did We Get Here? Developmental Review, 30(1), 116-127.