The results of a long-term study in Dunedin, New Zealand shows that children who watch television for two or more hours daily, may end up with attention problems later in adolescence.
Those who watched TV heavily had about a 40 percent increase of attention problems in both boys and girls.
"Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours, of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence," Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote in his report, published in the journal Pediatrics.
Landuis added that the study couldn't be considered proof of TV causing attention problems, as it's possible children apt to have attention problems may be drawn to watch more television.
"However, our results show that the net effect of television seems to be adverse," he wrote.
The report also said when younger children watch a large amount of television, even if they stopped when they grew older, it didn't reverse the damage that was done.
Study co-author Bob Hancox added that the study does support the recommendations that parents should cut back on the amount of time they allow their children to watch.
I believe this is true. Children should not be allowed to watch too much TV. Instead they should be made to read books and do a lot of art work. And by books, I don't mean the ones that teach them about magic, witches and silly fantasies, because a mind is a terrible thing to waste by stuffing it with these scurrilous garbage at such an early age.
Posted by: mscsrrr.com, ( On Televison and attention deficit disorder in children) | September 12, 2007 1:36 PM | Permalink to Comment