Another study suggests TV troubles

Here in the US watchdogs are busily engaged in linking childhood television habits with obesity. A new study from New Zealand suggests that there are other things to worry about as well. It looked at children born between April 1972 and March 1973 and discovered a link between heavy childhood television use and attention problems upon reaching adolescence. According to a Reuters report, children averaged just over two hours of viewing daily from the ages of 5-11, a number which rose to 3.1 hours daily by the time they reached the 13-15 age cell. Those children on the higher side of the average number, over two hours daily, were 40% more likely to have attention problems, regardless of any medical diagnosis of ADD or hyperactivity. The study did not have a definitive answer for why it produced these results and only suggested possible answers. It noted the possibility of a chicken-egg situation, saying it was possible that it wasn't television causing attention problems, it might be attention-challenged children gravitating to television rather than pursuing other activities. It also noted, however, that early viewing seemed to cause the damage, and that heavy young uses suffered despite cutbacks in viewing habits later on.

RBR/TVBR observation: As parents, we certainly believe that it is vitally important that children spend their time pursuing a wide variety of activities. That's why we sometimes wonder about government-mandated children's programming. Sure, educational programming is better than the empty intellectual calories they may get from some other forms of children's entertainment, but there are times when we don't want them watching any TV at all, educational or otherwise. When we were kids, vast segments of the daily TV schedule had nothing for us, and we gladly played outside and even read books. Nowadays, kidvid is on 24/7 one way or another. Maybe the FCC should mandate certain no-kids dayparts and force Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Channel and all other channels and broadcast outlets to put on the generic programming we call "Boring Old Guys in Suits Just Talking" and other programming they hate, just to drive them out into the rich world full of both nature and make believe, beckoning from as nearby as our own back yard.

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