Do you let your toddler watch television? Perhaps too much TV? Read this:

According to the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the journals of the well-known Journal of the American Medical Association, young children who watch TV directly or even have indirect exposure to television exhibit increased aggressive behavior.

It found that for every hour of viewing, 3-year-olds showed an increase in aggressive behavior. The study had controls for other keys for aggression, such as unsafe neighborhood, depressed mother or being spanked. And yet this is just one in several studies that continues to show a link between TV watching and childhood aggression.

“A take-home message from this study is that parents should think about how much TV kids are watching themselves, but also think about the overall media environment in the home,” said one of the study’s authors, Jennifer Manganello.

On a general level, pediatricians say it is important to make sure young children get plenty of time socializing with other children their age and get time interacting with people of all ages.

Also, when watching TV, it is important for parents to interpret for their children what they are watching, to explain humor or violence the child might not comprehend.

In summary, don’t let the TV be a baby-sitter for your kids. Less is more.