RESEARCH: TV is good for children, insists academic (UK)

TV is good for children, insists academic

FIONA MACLEOD EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT (fmacleod@scotsman.com)

TELEVISION can be beneficial to children, helping them develop important
social skills and inspiring creative play, a leading Scottish
educationalist said yesterday.

Dr Ross Deuchar says watching television in a structured way can both
stimulate and educate young viewers.

Previous studies have suggested too much television can lead to a wide
number of problems, ranging from reduced attention-span to autism. Some
experts have suggested very young children should be shown no television
at all.

But Dr Deuchar, a senior lecturer in Strathclyde University's education
faculty, said: "Parents who are careful to select programmes that
stimulate their children's imagination, who watch the programmes with
them and talk about the content, are doing their young ones a huge
educational favour.

FULL ARTICLE AT http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=1565472007