Stick it to SpongeBob

Boost your kids’ test scores and physical health

Most doctors recommend no screen time for kids under two years old, and no more than two hours a day for everyone older. This includes computers, video games and DVDs.

But most parents inadvertently undercut this recommendation by putting TVs in their children’s bedrooms. Kids between one and 14 years whose bedrooms are TV-free have lower rates of obesity, score higher on standardised tests, go to sleep at least half an hour earlier each night and fall asleep easier, according to research. “The best place for a TV and a computer is in a space shared by the whole family,” says Dr Susan Linn, a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School.

Dec 1, 2011