A report that was published in this month’s Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine attempts to link TV exposure at a young age with aggressive behavior in the future. Information collected through surveys given to 3,128 mothers found that direct TV exposure and household TV exposure from 0-3 years of age is significantly associated with childhood aggression. Although this is very telling, researchers admit that a definite link cannot be made because households with higher rates of TV use may have fewer restrictions on the content children are watching.After finding this article, I felt the urge to look into the matter further and discover if there are any definite biological effects associated with watching too much television. I found that excessive television viewing may not have significant effects on adults, but can be extremely damaging to the health of children – good job, 8-year-old me.
I first came across this article from 2007 written by Catharine Paddock where she discusses how high usage levels of television and its partner in crime, the computer, are damaging to the health and development of children. The article’s main reference is a journal publication written by Dr. Aric Sigman, a well-known figure in England who focuses his work on health promotion and management. In his most recent publication, he details the health effects people face by watching too much television. Through surveying other research materials and conducting research firsthand, Dr. Sigman found that high levels of television viewing can have negative impacts upon a child’s mind, behavior, and physiology.
Firstly, there are issues involving mental health. Dr. Sigman has found that attention and concentration abilities, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease can all be linked to TV. Deficiency in a child’s ability to concentrate is a direct cause of television as a medium and not the specific programming that is being observed. In his article, Dr. Sigman references a study conducted that proved that the stylistic
techniques utilized in television programs – like quick cuts, visual pans, zooms, sudden noises, etc. – all elicit a instinctive response from humans. This is due to a built-in safety mechanism making us sensitive to movement and sounds in our surroundings. Because of this involuntary response, humans are highly stimulated to sudden changes in the environment. Therefore, humans are drawn to the stylistic techniques mentioned above that vary the audience’s point of view during a scene. Unfortunately, due to the fact that these techniques are utilized frequently during a single television program to maintain viewer retention, the attention span of developing brains may begin to decrease. Basically, the mind becomes very dependent on continuous stimuli in order to maintain focus. From watching excessive television, a child’s need for constant external stimulation can arise, which may lead to mental problems like Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).In regards to behavioral effects, television viewing has a major effect on sleeping patterns. Through numerous studies, it has been found that children these days are receiving much less sleep than previous generations and are experiencing more sleeping difficulties. A study by E J Paavonen found that overall exposure to television, both active and passive, of 5 to 6-year-olds was linked to shorter sleep duration, increased chances of forming a sleeping disorder, and sleep disturbances.
Equally important are children’s eating habits. When humans are hungry, they normally respond to internal food cues like a growling stomach. But because TV is such a powerful medium, increased exposure to it causes the brain to monitor external non-food cues – fast food commercials, cooking shows, etc. – that tell viewers that they haven’t eaten enough. Our bodies then respond by continually salivating unnaturally as we increase our intake of food, causing us to eat more than we normally would. This even causes some people to eat when they’re not even hungry.A final behavioral impact of television is on a child’s social conduct. If a child chooses to sit in front of a television all day, their social interactions with other children decrease dramatically and a state of isolation begins to develop. The severity of “loneliness” is subjective in every child, but high levels of isolation can take an emotional toll. Furthermore, a study has been conducted comparing the DNA of people considered to be highly socially isolated versus those who were lower. Through this study, researched identified 209 genes that were expressed differently in leukocytes between samples. Leukocytes are white blood cells that work with the immune system to prevent disease. The gene expression of highly isolated participants included impairment in the transcription of glucocorticoid, a gene with anti-inflammatory elements, and an increase in the transcription of a pro-inflammatory gene. These combined effects present that social isolation, which can occur through excessive television viewing, can elevate a child’s risk of attaining an inflammatory disease.
The physiological effects of too much television begin with the well-known effects on eyesight and metabolism. The harsh light associated with television screens, has been increasingly proven to be more of a factor in a child’s development of myopia, or near-sightedness. Myopia occurs when light doesn’t hit the retina correctly, causing distant objects to appear blurred. It's said that the continuous light from screens can desensitize a person’s retinas to light, which may lead to permanent damage. In addition, watching television is a sedentary activity, meaning it requires little movement and no exertion of energy to perform. Lifestyles based on sedentary activity are known to lower a person’s basal metabolic rate. This means that it would take a lot more energy to burn calories than before and it becomes easier to gain weight.
Furthermore, studies have shown that excessive exposure to light from televisions may also affect a child’s melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. It is known as the “hormone of darkness” because its production is inhibited by light and the highest levels of its production occur while humans are asleep. The primary function of melatonin is to regulate a person’s biological clock. It also serves as a powerful antioxidant. The excessive light from screens inhibits melatonin production in children. Low levels of melatonin are known to increase the chances of premature puberty, which prevents a child from growing to their maximum potential height because bone maturation is completed sooner. Reduced amounts of melatonin may also result in a greater chance of cell DNA producing cancer-causing mutations. It was found that when children ages 6-12 were deprived of television and computers, their melatonin levels increased by 30%.
Lastly, excessive television viewing can also lead to heart trouble and diabetes. These are most attributed to the sedentary lifestyle that comes with watching too much TV. A decreased metabolism and an increased food intake at a young age will shape a child’s behavior in the future. These dietary habits are hard to break and can lead to high cholesterol and an increased potential for heart disease. Moreover, abnormal glucose metabolic rates are also associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. Abnormal levels of glucose are a strong trigger for Type II diabetes.From the information of the article, as well as the background information provided by Dr. Sigman and numerous other sources, it can be seen that too much television is a growing epidemic for children. Although some of the effects discussed above are not directly linked with the action of watching television, the overall habit obviously can affect the entire body in a negative way. The obvious solution would be to limit a child's TV time, but these days, that's a lot easier said than done. I recommend promoting children involvement in activities that get them up and away from the TV, like sports, school clubs, and maybe even adding a few more chores to their list. Just remember, the next time your kids want to “flip on the tube” in order to watch the latest episode of Spongebob or Hannah Montana, dim the screen, don't get too comfortable, and please, eat before you start watching.
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