the harmful effects of watching television

8/19/2019 The Harmful Effects of Watching Television

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The Harmful Effects of

Watching TelevisionBY SOFO ARCHON

In a culture where most people have at least two TV sets in theirhomes and are obsessed with watching television, it is almost

impossible to neglect pointing out the possible harmful effectsof watching too much television.

Television certainl has much to offer, and without a doubt is agreat innovation. But when it comes to reling on it, whether to

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be informed or entertained, it can certainl affect peoplenegativel.

Here are the main harmful effects of watching television that ou should alwas !eep in mind.

Television is bad for our health Watching television means inactivit, and inactivit has beenlin!ed with obesit and heart disease. "o ou thin! it is #ust acoincidence that in the West, where people are spending

enormous amounts of time watching television, obesit andheart diseases in people of all ages are rapidl increasing$

%ore and more studies are being carried out on the harmfulhealth effects of watching television. & recent research studconducted at the Harvard 'chool of (ublic Health indicates that watching too much television can significantl increase the ris!of developing obesit and tpe ) diabetes. *ot surprisingl,

another stud carried out at the +niversit of hode Islandfound that prolonged television watching decreases viewers-sense of selfefficac in maintaining personal health.

Television feeds ou falseinformation

/ne of the most harmful effects of watching television is thattelevision appears to portra or report realit. In fact, it #ustallows us to get a small glimpse of what-s reall going on. Thisparticularl happens when watching TV newscasts. When we watch a 01 minutes newscast, we usuall believe that what it isshowing us is all that there is to see. &fter all, if there was more


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to see, wouldn-t television show us more$ +nfortunatel mostpeople accept whatever television is feeding them, without evercasting a doubt on its truthfulness.

/ne of the main reasons wh we so readil believe whattelevision is showing us is the fact that we prefer ignoranceover !nowledge because, as the saing goes, 2ignorance is bliss.3'earching to !now the truth re4uires effort, and so we prefer tolet the evening news do all the search for us. In this wa, wedon-t need to do anthing5 no effort, nothing to worr about. Wechoose the eas wa, but b doing so, we also choose to accept adistorted view of realit.

Television ma!es ou dumb &nother ama6ingl harmful effect of watching television is thefact it can hinder our abilit to thin!. Having tal!ing headscontinuousl giving us 4uic! information, opinion, analsis andcriticism for #ust about everthing, allows us to stop using our

critical thin!ing. In this wa, we can be easil misinformed andmanipulated.

7ertainl there are a few programs on TV that are educationaland interesting, but the ma#orit of television programs aresimpl trash. &nd so we rarel find a program on TV thatre4uires us to thin!. Television programming is designed insuch a wa so as to match our attention spam, and that is wh

almost all programs are 01 to 81 minutes long. In addition,television programs rarel dedicate the entire program to asingle topic. Hence, not onl cannot television programsprovide an decent thought to stimulate discussion, but thepresent information in such a wa that we cannot digest itproperl. &nd so we can easil form opinions without allowing


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the information to be first filtered through our mind, and while we might thin! that we become more !nowledgeable, in realit we become dumb.

Television wastes our time9ife is short, but we choose to spend it watching television. :ustthin! of how man hours of our da we waste watchingtelevision. 'urves reveal that people in the Western worldspend ;


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Photo courtesy of Ian Chase

It is hard to avoid television if ou are a !id. (eople in the house are usuall tuned in to TV >

siblings as well as parents. In some homes, the television is perpetuall 2on3 even without

anone watching. It is common for parents and caregivers to use TV as a substitute babsitter.

&lso, man parents bu videos that the thin! can ma!e their !ids smart. But how does

watching TV reall affect children$

The bad news is, the ma#orit of e?perts thin! that a TV@videodriven culture has bad effects on

!ids > and ma prevent !ids from being smart. The cite the following5

• TV provides no educational benefits for a child under age ). Worse, it steals time for

activities that actuall develop her brain, li!e interacting with other people and plaing.

& child learns a lot more efficientl from real interaction > with people and things, rather

than things she sees on a video screen.

•

TV viewing ta!es awa the time that our child needs to develop important s!illsli!e language, creativit, motor, and social s!ills. These s!ills are developed in the !ids-

first two ears Aa critical time for brain development through pla, e?ploration, and

conversation. Your !id-s language s!ills, for e?ample, do not improve b passivel

listening to the TV. It is developed b interacting with people, when tal!ing and listening

is used in the conte?t of real life.


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• TV viewing numbs our !id-s mind as it prevents our child from e?ercising initiative,

being intellectuall challenged, thin!ing analticall, and using his imagination.

• TV viewing ta!es awa time from reading and improving reading s!ills through practice

A7omstoc!,


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• =ids who watch too much TV are usuall overweight, according to the &merican %edical

&ssociation. =ids often snac! on #un! food while watching TV. The are also influenced

b commercials to consume unhealth food. &lso, the are not running, #umping, or

doing activities that burn calories and increase metabolism. /bese !ids, unless the

change their habits, tend to be obese when the become adults. & recent stud confirms

this finding, suggesting that even #ust an hour of TV is associated with childhood obesit.

• Too much watching TV as a oung adult, especiall when combined with not much

e?ercise, ma be lin!ed to lower brain functioning even before one reaches middle age,

according to a )1


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'ome e?perts, however, believe that TV is not all that bad. The 4ualif though that viewing TV

can be good if it is done in moderation, and if the program being watched is selected5

• 'ome TV shows can educate, inform and inspire. It can be more effective than boo!s or

audiotapes in teaching our !id about processes li!e how a plant grows or how to ba!e a

ca!e.

• 'tudies show that !ids who watch educational and nonviolent children-s shows do

better on reading and math tests than those who do not watch these programs.

• =ids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch moreinformative and educational shows when the get older. The use TV effectivel as a

complement to school learning. /n the other hand, !ids who watch more entertainment

program watch fewer informative programs as the get older A%acbeth,


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To%ay&s $o%ern !i'e is surroun%e% (it tec )ro%ucts* Te tecno!o"y as been

"ro(in" ra)i%!y 'or +uite so$e ti$e, an% as no( beco$e an i$)ortant )art o' !i'e*

Te tecno!o"y as its i$)act on )eo)!e o' a!! e!%s an% a"es* -ea, it as i$)acts

on ci!%ren as (e!!*

As you .no(, e/erytin" as its )ositi/e an% ne"ati/e i$)acts* Sa$e is te case

(it te tecno!o"y&s i$)acts on ci!%ren* For te )ro)er "ro(t o' your ci!%ren, it

is i"!y necessary 'or you to a/e .no(!e%"e o' )ositi/e an% ne"ati/e i$)acts o'tecno!o"y on te$* Cec. te$ out be!o(*

$)act o' tecno!o"y on ci!%ren* Poto y a/i% -oun"3Wo!4

Positive Impacts of Technology on ChildrenHelp in Education Te tecno!o"y as been )ro/en to be use'u! in e%ucation* Ci!%ren can access te

(eb an% "et te %etai!e% .no(!e%"e about any to)ic* Te e%ucation "a$es e!)

te$ to )er'or$ (e!! in aca%e$ics*

Competition Skills

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We!!, it is +uite c!ear tat tere are $ore ba% i$)acts tan te )ositi/e i$)acts o'

tecno!o"y on ci!%ren* n 'act, te )ositi/e or ne"ati/e e4ects o' any )articu!ar

tin" %e)en% on o( (e use it* y !i$itin" te in/o!/e$ent o' tecno!o"y in

ci!%ren&s !i'e, (e can easi!y brin" an en% to a!! ne"ati/e i$)acts !iste% abo/e*

Read more: tt)7$yessay)oint*co$i$)act3o'3tecno!o"y3on3

ci!%ren8i699:2H"N9#O1;i%s S)en% Many Hours A

ay (it


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out%oor "a$e* Tis is rea!!y a consi%erab!e issue attace% (it te 'uture security o' our youn" .i%s

tat are a%%icts to "a%"ets*

Ci!%ren (o s)en% !on" ours starin" on screens usua!!y co$)!ain !ess concentration on stu%ies an%$issin" out teir essentia! s!ee)* t $a.es te$ )ee/is, "ru$)y, a""ressi/e an% tey %on&t ta.enotice o' anytin" "oin" on aroun% te$ unti! tey nis*


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ast B)%ate%7 May 1, 2015 D y Holly L. Roberts

Teena"e boy te6tin" on is ce!!)one in te $a!!* Poto Cre%it Picturenet!en% $a"es


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You Might Also Lie

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TeensHealth.org, an online parenting and health information resource maintained by the emours 'oundation.

+ncourage your teen to turn his computer and phone off at bedtime to eliminate sleep-disrupting updates.

Potential $ental Health Problems

/pending too much time playing $ideo games can increase depression in teens #ho ha$e a predisposition tosocial or mental health problems, notes researcher (ouglas A. )entile, an associate professor of psychology at

Io#a /tate 0ni$ersity #ho studies the link bet#een $ideo games and depression, in a 1anuary 2, 4%22 article

in 5The e# 6ork Times.5 According to )entile, teens #ith mental health issues may turn to $ideo games for

relief, but then become addicted to playing, causing social, academic and emotional problems that may last

#ell into adulthood. In some cases, teens become so addicted to $ideo games that they can become isolated

and depressed. !arents can help by monitoring game time and limiting it #here appropriate, ad$ises )entile.

" Effects of Modern Gadgets on Children

#e$elopmentTechnology and (ids today is a sight you often see. # toddler holding a tablet" an infant 'ith anihone in her mouth" 'hat+s ne', #t one oint" arents have great regard over gadgets as a 'ay toacify their children and as an entertaining and educational tool. -ut later on" it becomes analarming sight.

!hoto by 7ayan 8ota $ia 'lickr , reati$e ommons

#arently" a research from Common *ense $edia revealed the ecetional increase of children

using gadgets such as smarthones and tablets have increased in !ust t'o years. %rom /01 in2344" the biannual survey revealed that children belo' eight year old using mobile devices havegone u to 521 in 234/. Conducted on #merican arents themselves" the survey further sho'ed theincrease of toddlers+ gadget eosure from 431 to /01. 6ith this" the #merican #cademy ofPediatrics discourage the tech use for children under the age of t'o saying that it changes thenature of childhood.

)n the same year" the 7niversity of 6isconsin sho'ed that toddlers are li(ely to resond better tovideo screens that initiates interaction" thus the acifying effect of tablets to children. Common

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*ense $edia founder 8im *eyer elains that these digital gadgets are changing the entirechildhood lifestyle" even relacing T9s" toys" laygrounds" and storyboo(s. )ne;year;olds are no''al(ing u to T9 screens and s'iing them because they thin( they are tablets"< he said. They arebecoming a art of childhood in 'ays that 'ere almost inconceivable before.<

=aiser %amily %oundation reorts that on average" children are sending almost seven and a half

hours staring at screens. $oreover" children are no' learning ho' to use gadgets first even beforethey could 'al( or even tie their shoe lace. $ost arents 'ho give in to their children+s 'hims can+tsee the effects but governments and eerts are calling on families to reduce their toddler+seosure to these gadgets. 6hat are the effects of modern gadgets on children, Here are tenreasons 'hy modern gadgets imede children develoment:

%& #rastic Brain #e$elopment >uring the toddler years" the brain triles in si?e and continues to develo until adult years. *tudieshave sho'n that too much gadgets may negatively affect a child+s brain on its functioning" and mayeven cause attention deficit" cognitive delays" imaired learning" increased imulsivity" anddecreased ability to self;regulation. *mart Parenting advises arents to sing" read" and tal( to theirchildren than letting them lay or 'atch T9 at home.

!hoto by 9en &ceod $ia 'lickr , reati$e ommons

'& Oh no( O)esityChildren 'ho rely their laying time in front of screens rather than outside in the laygrounds do notburn the calories they ta(e in. )ne in three 7.*. children is obese" 'hich may lead to comlicationssuch as diabetes" heart attac(" and stro(e. Parents must encourage their (ids to lay more. Theymust understand that there are many benefits of laying including having their children 'al(" run"

!um and get the eercise they need. Children get fit at the laygrounds and build relationshis. TheParents @one encourages arents to eose their (ids more into hysical activity then inculcatetechnology in the later years of their (ids for a healthier lifestyle as they gro'.

*& Violence$ost arents have noticed that their (ids learn to be aggressive due to long hours of laying gamesin their tablets. Tantrums are the most common form of aggressiveness among toddlers. #s theygro' older" children 'ho are addicted to comuter games are more li(ely to confront and disobeytheir elders. *o as early as today" instead of relying on tablets to Auiet do'n your little dynamo" otfor coloring boo(s or balls. Ta(e charge of your child today and (no' more about their behavioralchanges 'ith 8anet Lehman.

+& ,adiation E-posure

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#ccording to the 2344 reort of the 6orld Health )rgani?ation" cellhones and other 'irelessdevices are considered category 2- ris( because of their radiation emission. In >ecember 234/" >r.

#nthony $iller from the 7niversity of Toronto+s *chool of Public Health revealed that radio freAuencyeosure is clearly a threat to children. Healthy Child Healthy 6orld ac(no'ledges this risingradiation issue among children and gives tis on rotecting your child from these harmful gadgets.

.& ,educed Interaction-y laying on tablets" they could easily lay on their o'n. In an article ublished in The Ne' Bor(Times" >r. ary *mall" author of i-rain:*urviving the Technological #lteration of the $odern $ind<and director if the Longevity Center at the 7niversity of California says that if children send toomuch time on technology and less time 'ith eole" it hinders interaction and disruts the normalcommunication s(ill develoment on children. In a family set;u" toddlers often fail to imrove ontheir communication 'ith their arents since they surround themselves 'ith inanimate ob!ects.)thers coy and inherit the s(ill of tal(ing from T9 but fail 'hen sociali?ing 'ith other eole.

!hoto by &ike :enlund $ia 'lickr , reati$e ommons

/& !leep #epri$ationChildren 'ho get addicted to laying on their hones or tablets miss out on the needed rest. )nother occasions" laying on their tablets becomes their sleeing ill. 6ithout it" they become grumyand aggressive. The *lee Lady elains signs 'hether your toddler is suffering slee derivationand tis that you could do to hel your toddler have a good night+s slee.

0& 1o E-posure To 1atureadgets are (illing the develoment of a child. Instead of getting out and learning the 'ays of the'orld" running and sociali?ing 'ith other (ids" they 'ould rather stay at home and lay on theircomuter. *ome arents 'ho are overrotective find technology as helful since they (no' that thesafety of their child at home is secured. Ho'ever" they fail to reali?e that the child is estranged fromthe natural 'orld of lants" animals" la(es" and s(y. Toddlers should be able to thro' a ball" ho"s(i" !um" run" call a friend by names" among others. Learn more about toddler milestones from

-abycentre. This is one of the benefits of laying outside in laygrounds" they learn a lot frominteraction" sociali?ation" nature+s beauty" and life itself.

2& #amaged EyesightProlonged eosure at comuter screens strains the eyes. Eerts say that good eyesight largelydeends uon staring at things of varying distances. Research sho's that children 'ho are addictedto laying comuter games are more li(ely to develo eye roblems as they gro'. 9ision sharesmore insight on ho' comuter gaming affects the eyes of children.

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"& AddictionIf arents continue to feed the 'hims of their children" they are allo'ing addiction to gro'. Parentsmust eose their children to the rest of the 'orld rather than leaving them at home 'ith theirgadgets. 6eb$> elains ho' comuters and gadgets are addictive. Instead of getting themaddicted to such technologies" they should be eosed to activities that romote mental" hysical"and emotional develoment.

!hoto by !hilippe !ut $ia 'lickr , reati$e ommons

>esite numerous studies revealing the negative effects of modern gadgets on children" someeerts are still ositive about the rise of technology. 7niversity of 6isconsin assistant rofessor"Heather =ir(orian says that touch screens could hold educational otential for toddlers. -eing aneert on child develoment" D=ids 'ho are interacting 'ith the screen get better much faster" ma(efe'er mista(es and learn faster. -ut 'e&re not turning them into geniuses" !ust heling them get alittle more information"< she elains.

Technology should be encouraged and yet moderated. It is a ne' generation and (ids should get the

right amount of (no'ledge over such advancements. Ho'ever" arents must erform theirresonsibility of rotecting their child. 6hile there is still time" introduce a ne' habit of layingoutdoors and interesting games 'ith (ids of his age. 9isit PlaygroundEAuiment.com and get helfulinformation on educational toys for your child+s develoment.
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the harmful effects of watching television

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