Should children have televisions in their bedrooms?

@suedarr (2382)
Canada
January 30, 2007 8:43am CST
Not sure if this topic has been discussed before, but I did a search on Mylot and couldn't find one. My daughter who is eleven has a TV in her room, but since we do not subscribe to cable she uses it for her DVD collection or video games. I never had a tv in the room with my oldest two. I do know people who allow their kids to fall asleep to TV and wonder if that is setting them up for sleep problems in the future? What are your thoughts?
25 people like this
181 responses
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
31 Jan 07
My husband has always fallen asleep with to the TV and he sleeps just fine now, with or without it. I had a tv in my room beginning in my early teens, but, like you, we didn't have cable so I could only watch the local channels or my video tapes/DVDs. I think it's ok to do that.
2 people like this
• United States
30 Jan 07
I do not believe that a child should have a television in their room to watch shows. It is fine to have it for game purposes. Television viewing was once done as a family. There was one TV per household. When we watched shows, we did it as a family unit. When the show was over we went to bed.
@suedarr (2382)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
That is exactly how I grew up. Times have changed eh!
@filchi (291)
• Netherlands
30 Jan 07
i surely not agree having a t.v in my kids room, aside fr the fact that there is no time limit anymore once you fall asleep, they can just keep watching, and it will destroy there eyes, and then the fallowing day they are tired to wake up already cause of luck of sleep.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
My kids have tvs in thier rooms, i dont mind because they only watch them like once a week. they mostly watch in the family room however it is great when they watch different things or i need quiet time! but parental control is a MUST!!
1 person likes this
@justiman (428)
• United States
31 Jan 07
Wow almost 100 responses it just 13 hours! hit a live one here. I have two daughters and they are totally different. Both have tvs in their rooms but only one has a problem with it. She,16, does like to fall asleep with it on and I don't really like it but she has a hard time falling asleep without it. She has had that problem for many years but only had a tv in there for about two years, so that didn't cause the problem. I'm just not sure if it is wrong or not. There are alot of different opinions as you can see by this post. My other daughter,14, doesn't care if she has one or not. She hardly ever watches tv, but touch her phone....you better run!
1 person likes this
@justiman (428)
• United States
2 Feb 07
Only when she remembers to. Most nights I have to get up and turn it off because it bugs me. Mainly cause she watches the cartoon network and I can't stand cartoons.
1 person likes this
@mags31ca (203)
• Canada
31 Jan 07
Does the one who falls asleep with it on have a timer she can set so it goes off after a bit? I set the timer with mine so I won't use as much electricity, and so that loud noises on the t.v. don't disturb my sleep.
1 person likes this
@mags31ca (203)
• Canada
31 Jan 07
I haven't put a t.v. in my son's room, but he is only 4. I just don't want him to think I am encouraging him to spend time without me. I also like to be able to monitor what he is watching a talk about what is happening on the t.v. while we watch.
1 person likes this
@suedarr (2382)
• Canada
31 Jan 07
I would agree that four seems too young to have a TV in there room. Cheers!
@samraf (725)
• India
31 Jan 07
No i dont think that its a good idea because children really do follow their heart and heart really cause some times bad for us. Like.... we are damn tired but heart is saying to do more things and have fun but you know that your body need rest, and if you listen to your heart you will definetly going to hurt your body and brain and that will cause illness.,,, just like that when child need a sleep then their heart would be asking them to watch movie or cartoon which would lead them to awake late at morning and could make them late for their school and un attantive in class.. that can really hurt the report card of your child.... So i kindly request you to take out the television from her room and ask her to watch out and go to bed when its really late for her... Regards,
• Pakistan
31 Jan 07
i think he is damn right about it . good advise
• United States
31 Jan 07
no i dont thin kids should have tv in their room it keeps them up all nite and always in there room and u cant control wat they watch and dont watch and esspecially young kids u wanna kno wat their watchin and wen they are watchin it lol i wish they had a tv history lol so if ur child sneaks to watch tv at the middle of the nite it shows u wen they wher eon lol that would be so coo
1 person likes this
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
31 Jan 07
you're right. having tv in their own bedroom gives them reasons for them to stay in their room. spending less time for the family and all. watching tv together in the living room creates more bonding moments for the family.
1 person likes this
@justiman (428)
• United States
31 Jan 07
Yeah, I actually argue with one of my daughters to come out of her room and watch tv with me and my other daughter. She would rather watch cartoons than anything else. I can't stand to watch cartoons for even a minute. She's 16 by the way.
1 person likes this
• Nigeria
31 Jan 07
well for me i do not think that it is good that kids do have televisions in their room it could give them access to harmful material..
1 person likes this
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
30 Jan 07
Well I dont see why not. But I dont have childred so does my comment count? Well how about this I let my cats have a tv in their room. Is that okay?heheheh
@suedarr (2382)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
I think your comments are valuable! Everyone has an opinion on most subjects. Cheers!
• India
30 Jan 07
no i dont children should have tvs at their bedrooms.it will spoil their education for sure,becuase they will get access to tv whenever they 3ant and use it for playing games and watching dvd'd.their studies will hamper.instead i think there should be tv for them at another room where there can be parental control.then you can fix their tv schedule.moreover children form the habits of late nights and watching blue films as they grow up because they simply get the privacy of their room to use the tv for any purpose.thanks
1 person likes this
@suedarr (2382)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
Do you think that the TV can be educational in some ways though? Some programs like documentaries could be very enlightening.
@wdiong (1815)
• Singapore
30 Jan 07
I'm against having a television in my children's bedroom. We only have 2 TV points in the house and they are in the living room and the master bedroom. The main reason why I did not want the TV to be in their room is because they would probably be watching too many TV programmes and become couch potatoes. and it will also lessen family interaction.
31 Jan 07
I agree. Watching TV can be a family activity - it's more fun and more educational that way!
@apky12 (769)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I don't know if it will cause sleep problems or not. I've always had a tv in my room and I can't go to sleep without a tv on. One of my kids has a tv in his room but it's turned around so he can just hear it and not see it. The other has a radio. They both like some noise at night.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
That's how my husband is - unfortunately. So, we don't let the children fall asleep with them on. We have "noise makers" in their rooms to use "white noise" or other sounds to block out background noise.
• United States
30 Jan 07
Unfortunately I had to deal with this situation earier than I thought I would have to with my children. My children's godfather bought the kids (then 4& 2 years old) a brand new television and dvd player on christmas eve two years ago(without discussing it with us first). The kids were thrilled, my husband was thrilled and I was mortified!! The only place to put this new television was in their rooms. I allowed them to have the television in their rooms for about 3 months. Well, after 3 months of the kids falling asleep to a movie on dvd I transitioned the tv out of their rooms. I coincided the removal of the television out the room with my oldest son moving into his "big boy room". I made a big deal about it and painted both kids rooms and decorated the rooms with their favorite characters. I was so worried about the kids falling asleep to the television. But I was the only one who was opposed to it (including my husband) so I allowed for a short time. It has been well over a year now and the television and dvd player is not missed out of their rooms. Now my son has his room set up with his trains and other toys and my middle daughter now shares a room with her younger sisters and all of their toys. When the kids are in their rooms it is to rest, quietly play with their toys and use their imaginations. I beleieve in some respects that too much television can deprive kids of their imaginations. I also worry about children watching shows on television that is not appropriate and it is diffisult to monitor what your child is watching if the television is a child's room. For our family, when the time is right I will allow my children to use their television and dvd player in a playroom where I can monitor what they are watching but never in their rooms again.
@suedarr (2382)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I do think excessive TV robs kids of their imaginations too.
• India
31 Jan 07
yes.dey shud also be provided a television in der room but with d parental lock. der is nothin wrong dem watchin tv shows and cartoons .
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Jan 07
My 12 yr old and 11 yr old feel the same thing but no I feel that, it seperates them from the family and its too easy to let them go in their room and occupy themselves. We have a activitie room with a tv that has the dvd and video game hooked on and we allow them to be there and that way it is in a central location of the house and easily monitored and makes it easier to participate with your child.
@sureshmoe (974)
• India
31 Jan 07
No..its a bad activities done by the parents to their children...It is possible/leads to go in the wrong path in future or at their growing stage...I can suggested that it should be avoided.....
1 person likes this
@calvin222 (1606)
• India
31 Jan 07
Tv in kids room leads to unrestricted viewing. it is definitly a big NO NO.
1 person likes this
• India
31 Jan 07
yes i thing their shold be TV in bedroom of children but if they do their work @ proper time
@vabh4u (610)
• India
31 Jan 07
i think its better if children dont have television at thei room because they get more more influenced by what the see rather then they hear and television is nothing more than a stupid box.
@katan22 (325)
• Philippines
31 Jan 07
I think it is ok as long as you discipline them in using it like having time restrictions on when to use TV.
1 person likes this
@fedge098 (1330)
• Philippines
31 Jan 07
why not. just make sure what they are watching is what's suitable at their age. ^_^
1 person likes this