Parents Turning Kids on to TV

May 24, 2006 — -- Parents are surprisingly enthusiastic about television, according to researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation, which today released a new report on media and children.

"Parents are using media to help manage their households, to get through really busy days and tight time schedules, to keep the kids occupied so they can get something done," said study co-author Vicky Rideout.

For Kimberly Velasco of Montgomery Village, Md., this could not be any more true.

The mother of three told ABC News, "It's a help for me because I work full time. When I come home, sometimes I have to get dinner ready or get ready for the next day. It helps entertain the children when I can't be there."

According to the new study, on an average day, 83 percent of children under 6 years old use screen media -- which includes television, video games, DVDs and the computer -- and 33 percent of them have a television in their bedroom. Even very young children watch TV. More than 40 percent of children 2 years old and under watch television every day.

Research shows that the content of the media is what matters, according to Zero to Three, an organization devoted to supporting the development of young children. Efforts have been made to create quality media content for very young children.

BabyFirstTV, the nation's first television network devoted solely to programming for children under 3 years old, said it is filling that void in television for babies. Says Sharon Rechter, co-founder and vice president of business development for BabyFirstTV, "everything we do is supported by leading experts, and we can really see that babies are learning."

Parents are fairly evenly divided on whether TV helps kids learn -- 38 percent say yes, 31percent say no.

But in focus groups the Kaiser Family Foundation study conducted, many parents did say they believed that TV helped educate their young children.

"It has really helped my daughter a lot as far as colors, shapes," said LaKisha Hitch. "It builds up their confidence."