We can only try to make our decisions based on what we know about how babies are developing at this age and what we know about how television affects older children. We know that they are just beginning to use words, taking increasing joy in communicating with everyone in their lives. And we know that they're ever more actively exploring the world around them, with all of their abilities to taste, touch, see, smell, and hear. Many researchers have now demonstrated that children watching TV have much higher levels of obesity and much lower levels of physical activity. TV viewing can be addictive.
Studies show that the more television children watch, the more they want to watch.
TV viewing is passive entertainment. Rather than fostering children's natural activity levels or creativity or interest in exploring their world, television encourages them to simply sit back and take in prefabricated images. This is exactly the opposite of what toddlers need for their development. Even programming from as trustworthy a source as the Public Broadcasting System requires careful thought. But in the absence of results from formal testing, parents must make their decisions based on the best information that is available.