The Iowa Stater
September1996
Young research team
inspired by ISU prof
aula McMurray-Schwarz thought the opinion piece she wrote for USA
Today, "Kid Videos Stunt Growth," might raise a few eyebrows on
adults.
However, six Council Bluffs elementary school students were so
intrigued by McMurray-Schwarzs assertion that too much television could
stifle their creativity that they did their own research.
They interviewed more than 300 friends and siblings in three surveys. One showed 80 percent of the children interviewed watched 5 to 10 hours of television a week. The other two revealed that 80 percent, and 40 percent, respectively, were watching more than 20 hours a week.
The numbers came as no surprise to McMurray-Schwarz, who says Nielsen media research showed children ages 2 to 11 averaged nearly 22 hours of TV-viewing a week during the 1993-94 TV season.
McMurrary-Schwarz said she is more concerned about what children aren't doing while parked in front of the television such as reading books or playing.
"Play is fundamental to childrens social, emotional, physical and intellectual development," she said. "It is how they learn to communicate and cooperate, as well as practice physical skills and get exercise."
The Iowa Stater, stater@iastate.edu, University Relations
This and that
Copyright © 1996, Iowa State University, all rights
reserved
URL:
http://www.iastate.edu//IaStater/1996/sept/campaign.html
Revised 9/24/96