multi-media kids

during mondays lecture, we briefly were presented with various forms of media that are meant to enrich childrens cognitive development and provide a means of basic education that may be lacking in the home. I wonder what the long term effects of relying on media devices for entertainment and educating our children will be. In the more rescent past (~30 yrs or so) TV has been used as a form of entertainment and education for younger and younger audiences. this is not in itself inherently bad, and is likely good, though it is easy for parents to abuse. Coincidently, over the past 30 years or so, we have seen a sharp increase in childhood obesity, and social problems (ADD/ADHD). Can this be a result of not allowing kids to be kids, and burn off excess energy through providing their own entertainment? This concept came to me this thanksgiving when my 6 yo nephew spent the ENTIRE day infront of the playstation, which both entertained him, and baby-sat him. Is this society trading convenience for parenting? What social lessons are being learned from spending 4+ hours a day watching TV? I feel that parents need to take a more active role in allowing kids to discover the world as it really is (developing naive world concepts) and to allow learning through observing real-life, which is how humans have learned throughout the ages.