"You don't own a TV??" our friend exclaimed, incredulous.

"We use ours as a baby-sitter," his wife chimed in, pointing to their two boys. "What do you do?"

Every Super Bowl season, my husband and I are tempted by the blowout sales to snag one of the ever-snazzier sets. Now the switch to digital provides yet another excuse for making the big purchase. Our living room display case even has the perfect space for a 42-inch flat screen.

We think through the benefits: real-time news, educational shows and exposure to a wealth of global information. Instant entertainment, armchair travel and convenient baby-sitting all sound appealing, especially to us weary parents of an active toddler and dependent infant.

Life with a TV would probably be easier in some ways. When guests visit, in addition to conversing or playing board games, we could switch on the tube. If chores are calling and we cannot individually interact with or personally teach our keiki, we would have the option of popping in "Baby Einstein."

Still, there are numerous warnings about the "plug-in drug." The foul language and violence surely would not set a good example for our children, and too much of today's programming is based on sensationalism rather than substance. The sound bites and rapidly changing images could help induce a short attention span in our kids.

However, TV has its proponents, including those in my own 'ohana.

My brother says his wife loves the telly. The grandfathers are often glued to the sports or news channels. The grandmothers, enraptured by today's slick educational offerings, were thrilled when our firstborn, at age 6 weeks, could stare fixedly at a DVD for five minutes straight.

My husband and I were not too sure about the latter being an accomplishment. What exactly was transpiring in our child's brain as she gazed at the screen?

Apparently not much, for later our pediatrician relayed the intriguing fact that watching TV actually slows metabolism in much the same way as exercising raises it.

It would not be far-fetched to surmise that increased TV watching, coupled with a steady intake of junk food commercials, has contributed to the surge in childhood obesity.

With one study showing that infants who view "Baby Einstein" and "Brainy Baby" score about 10 percent less on vocabulary tests than babies who watch no videos, it is no wonder that my husband and I followed the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation to eliminate TV viewing for keiki age 2 and younger.

Someday, we tell our friends, we will likely acquire our own TV set. For now, though, we will leave the family portraits in the place where the TV set would normally sit, as a subtle reminder of where our attention should be focused.

Monica Quock Chan lives in Honolulu with her husband and children.