American Academy of Pediatrics: The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children's Executive Function

The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children's Executive Function

Angeline S. Lillard, PhD, Jennifer Peterson, BA

- Author Affiliations

Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

ABSTRACT

Objective: The goal of this research was to study whether a fast-paced television show immediately influences preschool-aged children's executive function (eg, self-regulation, working memory).

Methods: Sixty 4-year-olds were randomly assigned to watch a fast-paced television cartoon or an educational cartoon or draw for 9 minutes. They were then given 4 tasks tapping executive function, including the classic delay-of-gratification and Tower of Hanoi tasks. Parents completed surveys regarding television viewing and child's attention.

Results: Children who watched the fast-paced television cartoon performed significantly worse on the executive function tasks than children in the other 2 groups when controlling for child attention, age, and television exposure.

Conclusions: Just 9 minutes of viewing a fast-paced television cartoon had immediate negative effects on 4-year-olds' executive function. Parents should be aware that fast-paced television shows could at least temporarily impair young children's executive function."


In other words, watch fast-paced cartoons and become at risk for learning disabilities, or (shock!) ADHD, and you know there are meds for that.


What is executive function?:

"Executive function is a set of mental processes that helps connect past experience with present action. People use it to perform activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space.

If you have trouble with executive function, these things are more difficult to do. You may also show a weakness with working memory, which is like "seeing in your mind's eye." This is an important tool in guiding your actions.

As with other learning disabilities, problems with executive function can run in families. It can be seen at any age, but it tends to become more apparent as children move through the early elementary grades. This is when the demands of completing schoolwork independently can trigger signs of a problem with executive function.

The brain continues to mature and develop connections well into adulthood. A person's executive function abilities are shaped by both physical changes in the brain and by life experiences, in the classroom and in the world at large. Early attention to developing efficient skills in this area can be very helpful. As a rule, it helps to give direct instruction, frequent reassurance, and explicit feedback."

Executive Function Disorder: rarely tested, rarely addressed, yet with devastating consequences:

"One of the most common invisible neurological disabilities that can cause a lifetime of misery and failure is called Executive Function deficit. Executive function (EF) is the "little boss" inside your head that "tells" how to plan, what, how and when to speak and or take action. When executive function is impaired, a person can be disorganized, impulsive and "always behind" everyone else. EF is often co-morbid with learning disabilties, autism, Aspergers, and ADHD. EF is also rarely tested for by schools when conducting educational pyschological evaluations."

Disease Mongering

Media hype headline of the day:

"Watch cartoons such as Sponge Bob Square Pants, your child at risk for mental illness"

Or, "Cartoons increase risk for mental illness"

Or, "Preschoolers at risk for mental illness if allowed to watch cartoons"