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As a long-time TV junkie who gave up cable (and thus TV) 17 months ago and still doesn't miss it (though I still spend a lot of time in front of the computer), this seems like a "Well, Duh." NY Times reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new warning against exposing kids under 2 to too much TV

In fact, according to the article, this means pretty much any exposure to screen time, including playing the TV in the background, plopping tots in front of computers or plopping an ipad in front of them.

This stems from the basic fact that kids learn language best by having real people talk to and with them.If they are in front of a screen, that's not happening. If parents are in front of a screen - gaming, texting or e-mailing, say - it's also not happening.

But there's more. According to the article, "recent research makes it clear that young children learn a lot more efficiently from real interactions - with people and things - than from situations appearing on video screens." Yes, you can learn from computer education programs, "but it's a lot lower, and it takes a lot longer," one psychologist told the Times.

The Academy recommends "doctors discuss setting 'media limits' for babies and toddlers with parents," but doesn't offer specific time limits. Industry spokes folks reacted predictably: Leave the decision up to parents, not doctors. "We believe that parents should be actively involved in determining the media diets of their children," one said.

Well Duh again. The trick is getting parents to avoid falling back on the TV and other gizmos as baby sitters in an era when both parents usually work and there are enough distractions to fill each day five times over.

It all seems like common sense to a guy like me who remembers the age of three stations on UHF and dial phone party lines. I love my digital toys and wouldn't want to go back to film cameras, typewriters and research that began with card catalogs in the library, but the fear here is that we'll start redefining "common sense" in the digital age by how convenient our actions are for us, not by how sensible they are for everyone.

About this Blog

My column is neither beat or subject specific, and has ranged from whimsical to hard news. Since I'm primarily an education reporter and a native of the Hazleton area, those often draw my focus.

About the Author

A West Hazleton native, I worked as a service technician repairing electronic mailing and shipping systems, a bike shop owner and an Emergency Medical Technician (among other jobs) before landing a reporter job at the Times Leader Hazleton Bureau in 1995. I started by covering primarily politics in Hazleton City and outlying municipalities, eventually became "social issues" team leader in the Wilkes-Barre office with the accent on education, and headed the Hazleton Bureau for a spell before returning to full-time reporting, my preferred position. I'm an avid cyclist and rode across the country in 1990, a trip of more than 5,000 miles from New Jersey to Seattle and down the coast to San Francisco. Years in the Boy Scouts made me a life long backpacker and camper, and I've yet to find a better way to enjoy the quiet lure of winter snow than cross country skiing.

Mark also writes a regular blog for timesleader.com.

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