Young children learn best from interactions with humans not TVs or computers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a policy statement in 1999 that addressed only TV exposure by children younger than 2 years old. It has now updated this statement based on new evidence to include video programs and games. Key findings include the fact that evidence does not support the educational value of even educational video programs and heavy media exposure in this age group can delay language development.

PositiveTip: Unstructured play time and interaction with humans best facilitates creativity, problem-solving, reasoning and motor skills in toddlers.

Watching more than 4 hours of TV a day dramatically increases premature death.

A study of nearly 9000 Australians compared those who watched 2 hours or less of TV per day to those who watched more than 4 hours. Those watching the most had a 46% increased risk in death from all causes, and an 80% increased risk for death by cardiovascular disease. This connection stayed consistent even after adjusting for other independent risk factors.

PositiveTip: Too much sitting is bad for your health. Remember to get up and move more, and do it more often.

Couch potatoes beware - every hour of TV time may increase your risk of dying early.

Researchers in Australia followed the lifestyle habits of almost 9000 adults for more than six years. They found that each hour of daily TV viewing was connected with an 11% increased risk for death from all causes, an 18% higher risk for cardiovascular deaths, and even a 9% increase in death from cancer.

PositiveTip: The human body was designed for activity and movement. Avoid sitting for extended periods of time for optimal health.

Toddlers without TVs in their rooms experience more weekly outings and have lower risk of obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control and the Oregon Public Health Division has revealed that almost one in five two year olds has a television in their bedroom.

These children watch more than two hours of programming every day. Excessive exposure of infants to television is associated with impaired cognitive, language, and emotional development as well as impaired sleep schedules and increased risk of obesity. The study showed that infants without TVs in their rooms were much more likely to experience 4 or more outings away from home each week.

Any media rules at home help reduce kids' media consumption by almost 3 hours per week.

Only about three in ten young people say they have rules about how much time they can spend watching TV (28%) or playing video games (30%), and 36% say the same about using the computer.

But when parents do set limits, children spend less time with media: those with any media rules consume nearly 3 hours less media per day than those with no rules.

PositiveTip: Set limits in your family about using media. It works!

Teens spend more than 53 hours per week using entertainment media!

A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation offers some very useful information about media use in the home. They report that today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media during a typical day. That is more than 53 hours a week!

PositiveTip: Establish media rules for your home. Your kids will benefit by them!

Two-thirds of young people say the family TV is usually on during mealtime!

About two-thirds of young people say the TV is usually on during meals, and just under half (45%) say the TV is left on “most of the time” in their home, even if no one is watching.

Seven in ten kids have a TV in their bedroom, and 50% have a console video game player in their room. Children in TV-centric homes spend far more time watching the screen than their peers. Kids watch one and a half hours more each day in homes where the TV is left on most of the time, and an additional hour beyond that when they have a TV in their own room.

PositiveTip: Turn off the TV during dinner and just enjoy talking with your family. Set media rules for the rest of the day, too.