If some quiet distraction is your goal, then your question is probably not whether TV is a learning opportunity, but whether it is detrimental. Does TV rot your child’s brain? Many studies say yes. For example, a 2014 study shows that preschoolers who watch more TV have lower “executive function”—meaning less self-control, focus, etc.9 An earlier study, from 2001, shows obesity is higher among girls who watch more TV.10 These are just exemplars—many, many research papers correlate more television with bad outcomes.
