Is It Bad For Newborns To Look at TV?

Is it bad for newborns to look at TV? Whether newborns should be allowed to watch too much TV is a hotly debated topic among parents. It has been shown that newborns learn from the visuals on TV. However, it may do more harm than good. In one study done in 2013, newborns who watched TV for at least half an hour were reported to have delayed development of problem-solving skills and language comprehension by almost three months.

Additionally, newborns and toddlers are likely to imitate and mimic what they see. While it is not known whether these babies will continue to imitate what they see on TV, it is better to be safe than sorry. There was a time when newborn babies were kept very quiet and were not allowed to cry. They had just one job: grow up healthy and strong!

So their parents got the bright idea of putting the baby in front of a mirror so it can at least look at itself while lying down. Then, other options started appearing, such as giving the newborn toys to keep it occupied or singing lullabies to calm it down. The newborn was still confined in its crib most of the time, though.

However, times have changed since then, and newborns are now given much more freedom than before. They do not even have to stay in bed. Television is now commonly found in newborn nurseries. The question is, are newborns supposed to watch TV?

Are newborn babies allowed to watch TV?

According to research, newborn babies should not be exposed to any form of electronic media like television, computer screen, or video game console since they do not understand it and could strain their eyes. Some newborns also suffer from ‘TV-turn syndrome,’ which causes them to compulsively turn towards the screen even when no sound is emitted. This can lead to poor muscle development.

If you cannot imagine how a newborn baby would recognize shapes on a two-dimensional surface, then you are right because newborns cannot tell the difference between 2D and 3D objects. They cannot focus on the screen without straining their eyes.

What newborns can do?

Newborns spend most of their time sleeping, feeding, and crying – nothing else. It is wise not to give newborns any form of entertainment as they will not understand it and could hurt themselves by accident. If you insist on giving newborns some form of entertainment, singing lullabies or reading books would be better than letting them watch television.

One thing for sure, though, is that newborn babies should always have natural light or sufficient artificial lighting at all times since newborn babies need sunlight for Vitamin D and healthy growth and development.

Do newborns look good in front of the TV?

It seems like newborn babies look good in front of the television. That is because newborns move their heads left to right with wide eyes when looking at electronic screens. As long as newborns are given sufficient lighting without any form of screen time, they will be fine.

But newborns should not watch television because their eyesight does not develop fully until they are about seven months old. A newborn baby’s vision has only 20/400 strength (normal human eye visual acuity is considered to be 20/20), so it cannot even see properly what’s happening on the TV screen at all.

If you insist on putting a newborn baby in front of a TV or computer screen

If you insist on putting a newborn baby in front of the TV or computer screen, make sure there is plenty of natural light around to see properly and wear sunglasses so that the newborn does not hurt its eyesight. Also, check if your baby has myopia (eyesight problem) since it might develop due to too much exposure to artificial lighting.

Newborns cannot distinguish between 2D and 3D objects, so they might accidentally hurt themselves by trying to touch the screen or falling off the couch. Parents nowadays also put newborns in front of their smartphones, tablets, or laptops for entertainment. It is not wise to do that either, as newborn babies cannot focus on up-close objects since newborn eyes are still developing.

Also, newborns may look good in front of the television, but newborn babies do not understand 2D images, which can strain their eyes. Newborn babies should listen to lullabies or read books instead of television since newborns lack muscle control and cannot operate electronic devices properly.

So the next time you see your newborn baby looking good in front of the TV, stop it right away before it gets addicted. They might also get eye problems if they stare at screens too long without wearing appropriate sunglasses.

Parents nowadays are also putting newborns in front of their smartphones, tablets, or laptops for entertainment! It is not wise to do that either, as newborn babies cannot focus on up-close objects since newborn eyes are still developing. Newborns also lack muscle development, which means newborns cannot operate electronic devices properly.

Is It Bad For Newborns To Look at TV? – Conclusion

In addition, newborn eyesight is not fully developed until they are about seven months old. Therefore newborn babies do not know what’s going on on the TV screen and might strain their eyes when looking at close objects while trying to focus on them, leading to poor eyesight problems in the future.

Also, newborns lack muscle control, so it is difficult to operate electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Newborn babies should listen to lullabies or read books instead of television since newborns lack muscle control and cannot operate electronic devices properly. They might also get eye problems if they stare at screens too long without wearing appropriate sunglasses.

So the next time you see your newborn baby looking good in front of the TV, stop it right away before it gets addicted.

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