Play and Leisure

Television has been a prominent force in preschoolers' lives for decades, and researchers have been concerned about its impact in four areas: (a) the impact on social interaction, (b) the impact of advertisements (90% of preschoolers ask for items seen in advertisements), (c) TV as a sex information tool, and (d) its impact on aggressive behavior.  Children typically become consistent viewers of television around 2 ½ to 3 years old. Young children may view TV using "magic window thinking," believing the character s are real people, but between 2 and 4 children come to realize that the things they see on TV are not really present.  While some programs, especially educational programs, can be beneficial for improving social, emotional, and cognitive development in some areas, negative effects such as aggression and the formation of racial and gender stereotypes are also present.