FROM MEDIA FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL
Cultivation of the “IdiotBox,” Background TV’s Poses Danger for Children
Validated Independent NewsApr 9, 2013
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) sheds new light on the detrimental impact background television has on children’s neural development and social skills. The UNCW study shows that children exposed to more TV are more likely to develop problems with hyperactivity and antisocial behavior. When children accustomed to such high doses of daily television stop watching all together, depression has a tendency to develop.
Research published in Pediatrics and Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine corroborates the UNCW study, adding the mind numbing nature of television viewing to the list of the appliance’s effects on children.
Doctors including Victor Strasburger at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, have observed language learning problems in children with high television exposure. Strasburger worries the cacophony of voices from background television confuses young children’s brains at a time when language observation is key. Researchers advise parents to simply turn off the TV when they’re not watching it.
Sources:
Brandon Kelm, “It’s Official: To Protect Baby’s Brain, Turn Off TV,” Wired, October 18, 2011, http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/infant-tv-guidelines
Frederik Joelving, “Background TV a Threat to U.S. Kids, Researchers Say,” Reuters, October 1, 2012,http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/01/us-background-tv-kids-idUSBRE89004A20121001
Johnathan Benson, “Too Much TV, Computer Can Ruin Your Child’s Mental Health,” Natural News, October 16, 2010,http://www.naturalnews.com/030060_television_mental_health.html
Leslie Wade,”Study: Some Cartoons Are Bad for Children’s Brains,” CNN Health, September 12, 2011,http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/12/study-some-cartoons-are-bad-for-childrens-brains
Sarah Boseley, “Ban Under-threes from Watching Television, Says Study,”UK Guardian, October 8, 2012,http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/09/ban-under-threes-watching-television
Steve Watson, “The Idiot Box: How TV Is Turning Us All Into Zombiesm,”Infowars, October 12, 2012, http://www.infowars.com/the-idiot-box-how-tv-is-turning-us-all-into-zombies
Student Researcher: Lisette Lantigua, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James Tracy, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University
