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

M: 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 tube don’t get enough exercise and can become over weight. The academy is also concerned that the messages 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 Dr. Miriam Baron, who chairs the academy’s committee on public education. "They need feedback and socialization." Older 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.