It’s no secret that watching television isn’t the healthiest way to spend your time—particularly if you’re a kid. Pediatricians say children under the age of 2 shouldn’t watch TV at all and that TV time always should be monitored closely and curtailed thereafter.

Why? Well, a new study just uncovered one more reason: Preschoolers who were exposed to more television—even if it was just on in the background—were less able to understand how other people felt.

That impact was blunted somewhat when parents watched TV with their kids and talked through the content they saw with them.

“When parents talk with their children, they might discuss people’s thoughts, beliefs, intentions, goals—and they might use the terms know, think, etc.,” wrote Amy Nathanson, an associate professor for Ohio State University. “Exposure to these kinds of conversations helps children understand other people have unique mental states that drive their behaviors.” (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife Wendy and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.