Patient's question:
My child is now two years old, but our whole family loves watching TV. According to the elders, children should not watch TV, and as new parents, we are also unsure when it is appropriate to let them watch TV. We are worried about potential harm to their eyes.How old are children generally allowed to watch TV?
Doctor's answer:
When babies watch TV, the brain's left parietal cortex, which is responsible for visual processing, speculation, estimation, and other functions, becomes disorganized due to the rapid movement of the images, causing their attention to shift. Meanwhile, the right parietal cortex, which processes color signals, loses its inhibitory control, leading to increased connectivity between the left and right cortices. This results in a brain structure that tends to be destroyed, creating a state of inertia. The rapid switching of TV images disrupts babies' attention, making it difficult for them to concentrate fully on a single task.Babies can watch TV, but the duration should not be too long. For babies aged six months to one year, they can watch for about ten minutes. For those aged one to two years, they can watch for about twenty minutes. For children aged two to three years, they can watch for about half an hour.