TV Set— a live-in Babysitter
It's no secret that most busy American mothers use the TV set as a live-in babysitter.
In some households the tube holds a child's attention for the odd half hour or two while mom works on dinner; in others it is the child's constant daytime companion.
Is there any harm in this?
Debate rages over the question, and periodically research is published showing that TV reduces attention span, makes children jumpy or inclines them to violence.
In today's cartoon David Horsey makes fun of the claims of "children's TV", the special programming that supposedly uses entertainment to help youngsters to learn to read and take their first steps in the big, diverse world outside their family.
What do children really get from this programming?