The debate of allowing infants to be exposed to electronic media such as television still rages on with no amicable solution being brought forth. Several arguments in favor as well as against the subject continue to be discussed. The specific concern is whether infants ought to be exposed to television as soon as they are born or whether their parents or guardians need to wait till they are a bit developed.
Critics argue that exposing children who range between zero to two years may have adverse effects on their brain development. According to Santrock (2017), infants who fall between such a range are said to be in the sensorimotor stage. Typical infants at this stage spend approximately 18 hours per day sleeping. Exposing such children to television may not auger well with their normal brain development. The infants also do not make anything out of the graphic content displayed on the television; hence experts warn that the content may cause discomfort to the developing infants.
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Nevertheless, Santrock, also suggests that for the brain to develop properly, the infants need to interact with the environment, including various media. The author posits that children in deprived environments are likely to have deprived brain activity. Beginning at the age of two to seven years (preoperational stage) children begin to learn about objects but experience challenges when differentiating them (Santrock,, 2017). It is argued that exposing the infants to some programs may help them differentiate various objects.
In conclusion, it is not possible for families to lock their children completely out of some media content. Technology has advanced, and many families are embracing the changes. It is therefore imperative that modern families be careful with how they bring up their children. There is some truth in the negative effects that television portends to infants. Parents ought to seek assistance about the specific age they can start exposing their children to media. Even then, parental guidance will be required so that the children do not get access to harmful content.
Reference
Santrock, J. W. (2017). Life-span development (No. Sirsi) i9780073370217). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
