If you plop yourself in front of the television for hours every day, chances are your teen also spends excess time there. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges all parents to limit their adolescents' "screen time" exposure (TV, video games, computers, etc.) to one or two hours every day.

But the national average is more than three hours per day—20 percent of a child’s waking hours. Not only are their brains not working when they are watching television, sitting there—being the proverbial “couch potato”—contributes to our country’s obesity epidemic.

Media Violence: How Much is Too Much?

What your child is watching is another consideration. Teens tend to watch television programs with violence, sexual content and bad language, and nowadays, iPods and portable DVD players make TV shows and movies ubiquitous. The AAP linked television and violence when it made this statement: “Although media violence is not the only cause of violence in American society, it is the single most remediable contributing factor.”

Not only are kids seeing too much violence on television: During the time that they watch television, kids are exposed to a sexual reference every five minutes. And that isn’t necessarily even on shows you don’t want them to see.

How to Encourage Better TV Choices
There are several ways to limit the amount of television your child watches and what she watches.

• No matter how much she pleads, don’t let your child have a television in her room. There just isn’t any good reason, ever.
• Don’t watch television during meals.
• Pick several appropriate shows and tape them to watch together—that way you can talk about what is going on.
• Require that your child tell you before she turns the television on. This gives you the control over how much time it’s on. Luckily, now television shows are rated for ages just like the movies. This gives you, as a parent, additional information to make informed decisions about what you’re comfortable letting her watch. 

In addition to helping your child limit her television viewing, here are some ways you can help your child choose appropriate programming:

• Utilize the show rating system. (Many TVs now even have their own parental rating control modes.)
• Express your point of view. Challenge and question what you see and hear on TV to your child, and encourage him to do the same thing to you. This may encourage your teen to speak up when she is watching questionable television shows.
• Get involved. Voice your disapproval to local television stations regarding programming. Watch the television show your teen does. You’ll get an insider’s view and a great opportunity for conversation.
• Educate yourself. Check out Internet sites that monitor and rate television programs, such as the National Institute on Media and the Family (http://www.mediaandthefamily.com/).
• Use a digital video recorder system (such as TiVo) so that programs can be recorded, parental controls can be set and commercials can be fast-forwarded.