But we can control the number of hours it is used, carefully select programs for viewing, and discuss program (and commercial) content with the child. Television, if used judiciously, can offer a child a broader view of the world â€" cultures, species, sciâ€" ence and nature, moral dilemmas, role models, and so on. We cannot ignore this technology. In fact, a key study in this literaâ€" ture was conducted in Canada (see the book, The Impact of Television: A Natural Experiment in Three Canadian Towns, by T.M. Williams), who showed that reading skills declined in a town when teleâ€" vision was first introduced. Heavy television viewing in an unsupervised atmosphere can put children at risk. Studies show that these children are poorer readers, have poorer social skills, score lower on academic achievement tests, are more aggressive, and are more dependent upon television. In general, studies are showing that parent involvement in chilâ€" dren‘s television viewing helps chilâ€" dren to filter information, analyze story plots, separate fantasy from reality. Moreover, children with parental supervision are less aggresâ€" sive after seeing an aggressive movie than children who watch without such cuidance. Children‘s imagination, for example, was greatly increased when parents watched with a child, talked about the show, as compared to children who watch the same program without any supervision. The powerful effects of commerâ€" cials â€" on what children want to buy, eat and wear â€" is severely attenuated if parents are with the child, talk about the commercials, question whether the survey is accurate, explain who did the commercial and why. The literature shows that the negative effects of television can be virtually eliminated, and positive benefits increased, if parents superâ€" vise and guide television watchine. Television does have a number of good programs for children. Moreover, we can‘t completely shelter children from seeing any form of violence or hearing bad words â€" they will see and hear them on the school bus, in the park, from their peers, if not on television. The key is how parents handle it. Research has found that children not only use television for fantasy and escape, but they also learn a great deal about ways of behaving, dressing, eating, gathering informaâ€" tion about the world. If they see Van Damme clobber someone, and become the hero for it, they are more opt to clobber someone too. Moreover, since there isn‘t six hours of quality children‘s program on television every day, children are obviously spending part of their time looking at material for adults, material that they may not compreâ€" hend very well or content they may misinterpret. Elementary schoolâ€"aged children watch TV on the average of 5 1/2 to six hours per day! They spend more time with the TV than they do in school, reading or with their peers. or many children today, television has become essential. One study reported that children felt they would miss their TV more than their fathers! Parents: Watch TV with your kids