[originaltext] Next time you bring your kids in for a checkup, don’t be surp

Next time you bring your kids in for a checkup, don’t be surprised if the doctor asks about their tastes in entertainment. The American Academy of Medicine suggested last week that doctors work with parents to evaluate how much TV kids watch and what they see, what video and computer games they play, which websites they visit on the Internet, whether they view R-rated videos without the company of their parents, what music they like and what books they read. Doctors are worried that kids who spend too much time in front of the TV set don’t get enough exercise and can become overweight. The academy is also concerned that the message kids get from entertainment media can make them more violent and sexually active.
    The academy recommends that children under age two not watch any TV. "Children need activities to stimulate the brain during the first two years of life," says Doctor Mitten Baron, who chairs the academy’s committee on public education. "They need feedback and socialization." Elder children, she says, should watch TV in a common area. Their bedrooms should be "electronic media-free zones", where they can have a quiet place to read, study, play or just relax.