Electronic media, particularly television, have long been criticized for their potential impact on children. One area for concern is how early media exposure influences cognitive development and academic achievement. The article summa¬rizes the relevant research and provides suggestions for maximizing the positive effects of media and minimizing the negative effects. One focus of this article is the seemingly unique effect of television on children after age two. Although research clearly demonstrates that well-designed, age-appropriate, educational televi-sion can be beneficial to children of preschool age, studies on infants and toddlers suggest that these young children may better understand and learn from real-life experiences than they do from video. Moreover, some research suggests that exposure to television during the first few years of life may be associated with poorer cognitive development.