Television, anyone?
Some of us watch TV only a few hours a day
When I was growing up in Minnesota, our parents were very strict about television. We were able to watch certain shows at specific times, they were not generally impressed with television in the 1960s.
For example, one year our television broke and the family didn’t get another television for a few years. That was interesting!
On Sunday nights, however, the Cox family would get together and watch “Bonanza,” as one example. That might be the only show of the day, however, as everyone in family is nonchalant about television in general.
However, it turns out my folks were perhaps ahead of their time.
According to the Harvard Health online, excessive television-watching, defined as four or more hours each day, is associated with a greater risk of brain-based disorders, such as dementia, depression and Parkinson’s disease, a new analysis suggests.
The Harvard study was published online Nov. 3, 2023, by the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. Researchers looked at data on more than 473,000 adults, ages 39-72 years old, all enrolled in the US Biobank.
Participants were tracked either until they died, or were diagnosed with dementia, Parkinson’s disease or depression. The study ended in 2018 for some participants, 2021 for others.
Reports were on how many hours of television they watched aside for work or exercise, using a computer or watching a typical television set.
Compared with those who watch less than an hour of television each day, participants who watch four of more hours of TV daily 28 percent higher risk of dementia, a 35 percent greater risk of depression and a 16 percent higher risk.
Those who reported a moderate amount of television use, such as 30-60 minutes per day, appeared to have a lower risk of those conditions.
The study was observational, meaning it could not prove that excessive television watching in itself causes these probably, is an early sign of them, or results from other factors contributing to these disorders.
What about the kids?
Parents are often shocked when pediatricians tell them that watching television is a bad idea. According to HealthChildren.org, children’s brains develop at about 18 months of age, because most toddlers already have. watched the tube. Surveys say more than 92 percent of 1-year-olds have already used a mobile device, some starting as young as four months of age.
Parents — probably sleep-deprived — may respond with comments like, “My baby likes television.”
However, experts argue that the young brain may see the moving parts and colors on television, but cannot make sense of all that action in one place.
It takes about 18 months for a child’s brain to develop to a point where the symbols on a screen to to represent their equivalents in the real world.
What the infants and toddlers need most to learn to how to interact with the people around them. That does not mean they they shouldn’t video-chat with a distant grandparents or deployed parent, but when it comes to day-to-day learning they need to touch things, shake them, throw them, and most of all, the little ones need to the the faces and voices of those who they love, the most.
Apps can teach toddlers to tap and swipe at a screen, but studies show these skills do not translate into real-world learning.
These days I watch about 3-4 hours of television at night. That’s a bit on the high side, but it’s not every night, just in general.
My husband and I enjoy several of the same programs, so there is that.
But in general, if one was raised without much television in the first place, it’s rather easy to monitor practices such as overuse.
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This was fun to write! I still don’t much like regular television but it’s a more difficult choice when away from home.