Luke 11:34 NASB
“The lamp of your body is your eye; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.”
You can make your kids fat and stupid. How? When they ask for a TV or a computer in their room, give them one.
If you would prefer healthy and smart children, be prepared for an argument. The classic “everyone has one” is simply not true. “By some estimates, half of American children have a television in their bedroom; one study of third graders put the number at 70 percent.”[1] You may have to concede that, while many or even most do, yours will not because…
It’s bad for your health
“A study of middle school students found that those with bedroom TVs were twice as likely to start smoking. Among kids who had a TV in their bedroom, 42 percent smoked; among others, the figure was 16 percent.”
It will make you fat
“The Journal of Pediatrics reported that preschool children with bedroom TVs were more likely to be overweight.”
You’ll sleep worse
“A study in Pediatrics showed that kindergartners with bedroom TVs had more sleep problems.”
It will make you stupid
“In a 2005 study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, children with a TV in their bedroom scored significantly and consistently lower on math, reading and language-arts tests.”[2]
Jesus said, “the lamp of your body is your eye.” Parents should limit what goes through their children’s visual portal. Kids need parental protection from unsupervised screen time, television watching, and Internet browsing. Most intelligent parents know that. They don’t need scientific evidence to prove it.
Consider a new household rule: All television, computer games, and Internet use happens at specified times in public places like the family room or a shared den. Monitor your children’s use of the TV and computer. Install filters and accountability software on your family computers.
Limit the scope of their vision. A clear eye, according to Christ, produces a body “full of light.” If you want your child to develop a strong body and good mind, remove the TV and computer from his or her bedroom.
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[1] This Oregonian article credits The New York Times and appears to be based on an article published on March 4, 2008 by an Tara Parker-Pope entitled “A One-Eyed Invader in the Bedroom.” Ms. Parker-Pope’s thesis: “Here’s one simple way to keep your children healthy: Ban the bedroom TV.”
[2] This text and bullet points came from the Oregonian article referenced in the footnote above. It was entitled “Why you don’t want a TV in your kid’s bedroom.”
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4 comments:
Sound advice.
But rest assured if we do not take matters into our own hands the government will step in. Like Califirnia and home schooling.
I think perhaps our nation prefers dumb.
Right you are. What happened in California with Home Schooling?
When I was a kid, we had a small TV on the counter in the kitchen, which aired things like the news while my mom was cooking. But sometimes it stayed on once we started eating, and I found it so depressing that I always asked that it be turned off, because otherwise no one talked. Happily, my parents always complied without fanfare.
Today, I find it harder not to watch television, first because I live alone, and second, because the programming is far better than it was way back when. But I still think one should NEVER be watched while a family is eating together.
Hi Maffy,
Thanks for your comment. I agree, except for an occasional Trail Blazer game!
Dave
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