A newspaper reported a randomised controlled trial that looked at the effects of background TV on young children’s play behaviour. Researchers observed 50 children of 12 - 36 months old play with toys for 1 hour. A TV was on with commercials in the background for half an hour, then turned off for half an hour.
The researchers found that “very young children’s toy play was disrupted by background television” and said this may have a cumulative effect if the child has long periods of TV exposure at home. However, critics say it is not clear from this study whether this has any effect on development but this is an area of topical interest that will benefit from further research.
Source: "The Effects of Background Television on the Toy Play Behavior of Very Young Children." Child Development 2008; 79:1137–1151
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