Should kids be permitted to have a tv in their bedroom

Italy
December 28, 2007 1:03pm CST
I'm not a parent, but I was arguing with one of my friends: he has a tv in his bedroom since he was a child and he says it's a good thing, but I don't think so. I bet If I had had I tv in my bedroom I would have studied less more and watched far more tv. What do you think about it?
9 people like this
41 responses
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
28 Dec 07
TV in the room is fine. Homework should be done in a separate place from the bedroom if you have an option.
3 people like this
• United States
31 Dec 07
I got my first TV for Christmas right after I turned 12. My brother got one, too (he was almost 10). It was great because up until then we had 2 TVs in the house. One was a 13" one that was my dad's in my parents' room. The other was a 19" TV in the living room that my mom usually watched on. It had the VCR hooked up to it. We had no cable, though. It was just nice to not have to fight my brother over what to watch. I don't think the TV in my room really effected me. We only had cable for 1 year when I was growing up so all I ever got on my TV was 8 basic channels and they came in fuzzy. My kids are 5, 6 and 7 (they all share one room) and they have a 19" TV in there hooked up to the DVD player. Mostly it is so I don't have to keep watching the same annoying kids' movies over and over. I like that I can tell them to go put a movie on when I need a break. It isn't hooked to the cable so they aren't watching anything they shouldn't. They have all their movies in their room. I have taken the DVD player out when they haven't kept the DVDs picked up or when I caught my oldest staying up late watching. I really don't see a problem as long as it is interfering with school work. But I don't really limit what my kids watch, so...
2 people like this
• United States
1 Jan 08
Hmmm...where do you suggest I put it then? It's not like I have a huge house with a separate playroom for the kids. We have a TV in the living room which is one big room with the dining room. Then there are the bedrooms and kitchen. The only bedrooms with TVs are my dad's (which is upstairs) and has the cable hooked to it and the kids' room (which is also upstairs) but doesn't have cable. My room and the baby's room do not have TVs (because the baby doesn't need one and there is no room in my room and I gave the TV to the kids). Where should I put it if not in their room?
2 people like this
• Italy
1 Jan 08
I don't know, maybe with placing the tv in another place who's not their room you can have the same advantage: you can say to them "go watch tv while I'm resting" but without giving them a continuous distraction
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Dec 07
I agree. it is nice to get a break once in a while and in a house with 4 kids on the weekends and two kids the rest of the week it is nice to say...hey want to watch a movie....put one on in the kids room and they are good to go for a couple of hours.
2 people like this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
29 Dec 07
Well, I guess everyone will have a different opinion on this. And each opinion will be right for each person. Personally my kids have had tv in their rooms early. MY daughter when she was 6 after she had her tonsils out. And my son got his in his room when he was about 9. They didn't have access to everything, we supervised, and they knew the tv had to be off by a certain time. But it was there in their room. Now here comes the kicker: Even though at one time they did watch some more tv, my kids are not much into it and most times those tvs go days at a time without even being turned on. They know they can, and they do like to watch some shoes, but the main point is that they watch much less tv than most of the kids I know. Even to watch favorite shows - which are usually favorites of all of us - they usually come to the living room to watch them with us. SOmetimes we want to watch different things and they go to their rooms but that doesn't happen often. Yhe tvs are never on during their homework time and they haven't taken any time from it. Of course not all children are the same and I"m sure that this is not the best option for everyone but with us it worked quite well. Maybe the reason it worked was because we're not too much on tv either, which might come to prove that is not the tv itself that is the problem but the fact that the kids pick up on our own habits.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
29 Dec 07
You have a point there. For us was more a case of where to put them WHen my daughter had her tonsils out and stayed in bed for a while we decided to put our old tv in her room so she could watch from her bed. MY son's tv is the small one we had in our trailer, Would we have specifically bought one for them? I don't know. Maybe, either way :) Still they are useful sometimes , when some of us want to watch something and the others something else or when they're sick and need to stay in bed.
2 people like this
• Italy
29 Dec 07
It seems you've done a good job with your kids But if they don't watch too much tv and like to watch it together with the family, then is it really useful that they have a personal tv? In my family watching tv together is a unifying experience, I think if everyone had a tv we would spend much more time on our own
2 people like this
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
31 Dec 07
I agree -tv in the bedroom is a bad thing - even for adults!
2 people like this
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
31 Dec 07
Experts say that TV in the bedroom is bad for your relationship.
2 people like this
• Italy
1 Jan 08
I agree with kelly that it can ruin the relationship between two adults, but not always. My parents for example don't watch too much tv when they are in the bedroom. It can be used as a second tv when the one in the living room is occupied
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Dec 07
TV is good entertainment, I agree, but it takes away from conversation. My boyfriend and I don't have nearly as many quality discussions as we should and he doesn't remember half what I say or what he says for that matter....b/c the tv is always on!
2 people like this
• United States
31 Dec 07
I would definitely not let my kid have a tv in their room. Think about it this way. If you send them to their room how is that a punishment? Its not. Thats exactly why i wouldnt let them have a tv.
2 people like this
• United States
31 Dec 07
I don't think sending them to their room should be punishment anyway. All of their toys are in there to distract them from thinking about why they were sent there in the first place.
2 people like this
• United States
31 Dec 07
Yes I think it is Positive to have a TV in my room. Because the kids can go to bed when they want to. I do not believe in a bedtime and I am doing just fine without one. You Sleep when you get tired. no child should be forced to sleep. As they should not be forced to go to the bathroom or forcced to eat on a particular meal. If a Problem Grows then yes u can force them to do something about it but dont punish them for something they havent done
• United States
1 Jan 08
if they had to go to school the next day and i knew they went to bed at 2. id wake them up around 7 and make them get ready and let them see how it is to have a unrested body all day
2 people like this
• Italy
31 Dec 07
I agree that you don't have to say "go to bed at 9pm" but if the kid is still awake at 2am it's unhealthy and how he'll go to school next day. With a television in your room you can fakely go to sleep and then awake to watch more tv (I'd have done it if I had a tv. I'm a bad girl :D)
1 person likes this
@y2ksuprio (853)
• India
29 Dec 07
no kids shoudnot be permitted to have a tv in their bedroom.In that way they will bw easily distracted from study. Now a days most of the channels,adds contains adult materials which is not suitable for a kid. This things mentaly effects the child innocent mind. So if a tv is given to a childs bedroom then the unwanted channels should be locked by using password or child lock. Only educational channels should be permitted which can improve the childs study.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
29 Dec 07
I am a parent and I have to say that I have serious issues with kids having tv's, phones, computers etc in their rooms....My son use to bug me all the time to be allowed to ahve a tv in his room and I simply won't allow it..I think its a distraction from whats important like family time, studying, etc etc
2 people like this
@nickventere (1420)
• Zambia
29 Dec 07
Well, it depends on the limitations and conditions that you give the kids a tv intheir bedroom. Usually, allowing them to use a tv intheir bedroom, I think, breaks down the family fibre, the relationship that good families must enjoy. I have no problem with the kids having tv sets intheir bedrooms as long as they just use them for gaming purposes and, in rare instance, for viewing, such as when the parents have visitors to entertain or when the adults of the hosuehold are viewing programmes not suitable for the children. Otherwise, it is best that you watch tv with your children as much as possible. It is joyous!
2 people like this
@Seraphine (385)
• Finland
29 Dec 07
I had a tv in my room when I grew up and it never affected my studies in any way. I did sometimes have it on while studying but I was the type that studied better when there were some distractions in the background. Mostly I still watched tv in the family room but it was convenient to have my own tv when my parents wanted to watch something that I thought was boring. But I guess it really depends on the children. I'd have no problem with a tv in a room if the kids are responsible and realize that homework comes first.
2 people like this
@fanji008 (775)
• China
29 Dec 07
Hi,there! I would say it's better that the kid stays in a bedroom without a TV.When kids are young,they usually like playing more than studying.Generally speaking,kids are not very good at self-controlling.They might watch more TV and study less just as what you said in the discussion.Then that won't do any good to their study.But nothing is absolute.If the kid is really good at controlling himself/herself,maybe it's all right for them to have a TV in their bedroom. They can also learn some knowledge on TV.Thanks for the discussion and have a nice day^_^
@pree70 (525)
• India
29 Dec 07
I personally don't think that children should have a tv in their room. for one thing, it makes them loose concentration in their studies. and the other part is that you are no longer able to monitor the quality of the programmes watched. It is proved scientifically that watching too much tv has a negative influenze in children. so, i think the best part would be to wait till they are older and able to make sensible decisions, and then provide their own personal tv.
2 people like this
• United States
31 Dec 07
I think it totally depends on the individual. I had one in my room as a teenager, but I didn't watch much tv...i preferred the phone and reading. Someone like my sister who is 13, however, lives for TV....i would not under any circumstances put on in her room...and she doesn't. She is the type that would watch it at night though when she thought the parentals are asleep. It just depends. My kids have one right now, but it was there when I moved with my boyfriend. He has 2 kids that are there on the weekends and they would play nintendo or watch movies. I don't think it is so bad when they are young and you have limits. you know. teach responsibility, whatever. it is nice to have when my 3 year old needs to be distracted and we need some time. Hey Riley, do you wnat to watch baby einstein....whatever.
2 people like this
@gem170104 (172)
1 Jan 08
I had a TV in my room from about 13, but I had worked hard all summer to buy it. I think as long as the kids know that they can watch tv once they have completed all their homework then its fine, It gives the child a sense of maturity to have their own tv and also a work ethic that if you work hard then you can be rewarded by watching your tv, and that should hopefully carry on through life. I know I always finish what needs to be done before I sit down to watch tv or surf the net now.
2 people like this
@medooley (1873)
• United States
28 Dec 07
Personally I don't think that kids should have a TV in their room. But as the posters have already said, as long as the parents are involved in what they are watching and how much they are working it is probably not an issue. But the problem with a TV in most kids room is that their parents are not involved, and the parents want the kids in their room watching TV so they don't have to deal with them. I would prefer to watch TV with my children that way if they are watching something that they should not be, or something that they may have questions about I can answer them. So in short, if the TV in the kids room is being used as a babysitter, then I definitely say no.
1 person likes this
@medooley (1873)
• United States
29 Dec 07
Ah the V-Chip I never thought of that. But still I would prefer to do the parenting myself instead of some chip in the TV. Actually, I am sure that I would do both, if my kids have a TV in their room.
1 person likes this
@marty3888 (2355)
• Acme, Michigan
28 Dec 07
Remember though, that mpost tv's nowadays have that v-chip. So if there's a program on that you wold rather not have the kids see, block it.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Dec 07
I think when most parents allow a tv in the kids room, it doesn't have cable just a dvd or vcr and is only used at times when the parent needs a break or alone time with their spouse. I don't care what anyone says, kids can get annoying and if tv isn't abused it can be a good tool. there are educational videos that they can watch. My children never watch anything with violence or nasty word or anything like that.
@laylomo (165)
• United States
29 Dec 07
I had a T.V. in my room, but still did very well. My GPA was still very high. I often had the TV on while I was doing stuff and it just kind of ran in the background, while I was working on something. I still got things done. Then again, I never did my homework at home. Sometimes I didn't even do the homework.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
29 Dec 07
IF it is in their room, how can what they watch be monitored? You'll have no idea what they are watching and learning! And there is very little on tv these days for kids. If they are in there watching, they are not with you or the rest of the family, and communication gaps, relationships and the other "family" things are lost. If they just watch Tv all the time, they dont' learn about other things that they can do - talents, imageniation, skills. I think in their room is a terrible place for a TV. Shouldn't be there. Why can't they watch with the rest of the family!
1 person likes this
• Italy
30 Dec 07
I think you are right. With the tv in the living room and in my parents room, I couldn't watch programs that my parents didn't like, or watch cartoons all the day and never study. And watching tv together is a great bonding experience
• United States
28 Dec 07
I had a TV in my room when I was a kid. Still studied and still had a perfect GPA. TV is only a distraction if the parents let it be one. I had limits on what I could watch, how much I could watch and when I could watch it. My homework had to be done first, then I could watch TV. I grew up fine.
1 person likes this
@medooley (1873)
• United States
28 Dec 07
That is great that it did not effect you, may I ask how your parents ensured that you had your homework done before you watched TV and how they monitored the amount of time you spent watching TV?
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Dec 07
My parents couldn't monitor it. They were at work all the time. I guess if you mom doesn't work and is always up your butt, then monitoring the time and what you watch would be easy ;-)
• Italy
29 Dec 07
I fail to see what's the problem if kids have a tv in their bedroom. Computers and games are a distraction far more dangerous. At the end the parents have to watch if the kid study hard or not, it's all about that.
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Dec 07
Children should of course be permitted to have a television in their bedroom. It is no different from the child being permitted to watch television in the family room, or living room. Television, when watching the right channels, is a way which teaches children excellent social skills to abide by. For instance, with the television network NOGGIN, for children, children are taught how to do numerous things by their "idols" such as Dora the Explorer, and Diego.
1 person likes this
@medooley (1873)
• United States
28 Dec 07
I respectfully disagree, it is different. When my children are watch TV in the family room or living room I am there and I know what they are watching. If they are in their room, unless I am there with them I will not know what they are watching. And I am sure that we can agree that there are plenty of shows on television that kids should not be watching. Not only that, but with the problem of children getting heavier and heavier perhaps we need to get rid of the TV and encourage our kids to go outside and play.
2 people like this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
29 Dec 07
May I also add that it is different because if everyone is in their own room watching their own tv, the family is segregated. When I was growing up, watch tv was a family thing. Many happy moments were spent as a family watching tv.