Babies who watch TV are more likely to show late learning development and language at 14 months, especially if they are watching programs aimed at adults and older children, according to a new study, which would probably surprise those parents who leave their babies in front of a TV set.
Babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had developmental scores a third lower at 14 months than babies who were watching less TV. Although their developmental scores were still in the normal range, the difference may have been due to the fact that when children and parents are watching TV, they are missing the talking, playing and other communications that are important to learning and development.
This new study, which appeared in the Aechives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, followed 259 lower-income families in New York, most of whom spoke Spanish as their primary language at home. Other studies of higher-income families have also come to the same conclusion: TV watching is not only non-educational, but it seems to slow down babies’ development.
But what about “good” TV, like Sesame Street? The researchers didn’t find any difference when compared to non-educational programs designed for small children, like Spongebob SquarePants. Earlier research by some of the same scientists, most of whom are at New York University School of Medicine’s Bellevue Hospital Centre, has found that parents whose children watch non-educational TV programs like Spongebob SquarePants spend less time reading to their children or teaching them.
At this point, parents reading this will probably be astonished. TV is so often a parent’s good friend, keeping children happily occupied(占时间)so that the adults can cook dinner, answer the phone, or take a shower. But, clearly, this electronic babysitter(保姆)is not an educational aid. It is best to make sure the babies are fast asleep if you have to watch TV.
According to the first paragraph, 14-month-old babies who watch TV probably_______.
A.learn things quickly |
B.prefer programs for older children |
C.surprise their parents with their development |
D.speak later than babies who don’t |
Babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had lower developmental scores perhaps because _______.
A.they watch non-educational programs |
B.they have little communication with their parents |
C.they lost interest in real things |
D.their parents don’t speak English at home |
We can infer from the passage that______.
A.Educational and non-educational TV have different effects on babies |
B.Many parents leave babies to the TV to do their own things |
C.Educational TV is very popular among higher-income families |
D.Lower-income families tend to teach their babies at home |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.Developing Better Learning Ability |
B.A New Study on Babies’ Bad Habits |
C.TV Watching Is Bad for Babies’ Brains |
D.Make Sure Your Babies Watch “Good” TV Programs |