I think most people would agree that television is an integral part of our society. Television has provided a “window on the world” for most of us.

Over the years, television has given us glimpses into the lives of many “typical” American families: “I Love Lucy,” “Father Knows Best,” “My Three Sons,” “Leave It To Beaver,” “The Cosby Show,” “The Partridge Family,” “The Waltons,” “Family Ties,” “Eight is Enough,” “Happy Days,” “Full House,” “Two and a Half Men,” “John and Kate Plus Eight,” etc.

Television has brought us the wonders of the world through shows like Animal Planet and Planet Earth. We've see the “good” and the “bad” from the Olympics to Princess Diana's wedding, from 9/11 to the war in Iraq.

What would we do without television?

When is television a “good” thing and when does it cross the line and become something “not so good?”

As adults, we can easily “filter” what we see. We know that not everything we see on television is true. We can tell the difference between fact and fiction. Unfortunately, the same is not true for young children and that's where adults come in.

Research over the years has consistently shown that television (which includes videos) has a huge impact on the developing minds of young children and most research considers the impact to be negative.

Research has shown that:

• Exposure to violence on television, movies and video games increases the risk of aggressive behavior and desensitizes children to violence

• Television watching can be addictive

• Children under the age of 2 cannot understand the content of most programming

• Children who watch too much television lose their natural creativity, tend to be less physically active and less social

Due to the consistent findings of the research, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “no television for children under 2 and limited television for older children.”

The question now becomes, “What should parents do?”

I think we need to be realistic and understand that most of us are not going to throw out our televisions (although there are times when I think it might not be such a bad idea).

What can parents do? The following information provides some tips for parents:

• Do not use the television or videos to keep your children occupied while you're busy. A better idea would be to have the children color, play with playdoh or read a book at a table in the room with you.

• Limit the amount of television (or video-watching) per day. Most experts recommend no more than one hour per day for children over the age of 2. In addition, they recommend that you should use the time to watch the show with your child.

• Select the programming that your child is allowed to watch. There are some quality programs for children: “Arthur,” “Barney,” “Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street” are considered good choices by most experts in the field.

In addition, there are wonderful videos that expose children to things they might not see in everyday life: animals, foreign countries, diverse lifestyles; these videos provide children great opportunities to learn about the world outside their immediate neighborhood.

Please remember, however, that every program should be previewed by an adult first; make sure that the shows are developmentally appropriate for your child and that they reflect the values that are important to your family.

For more information about television and children visit: www.wholefamily.com, www.naeyc.org or www.kidshealth.org (enter television & children in the “search” box for links to additional information).

Patricia Gridley, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Early Childhood program at Cayuga Community College