Just how much television can cause attention problems later in life?
2 Hours A Day
More than two hours of television a day early in life can produce attention problems later in life. The New Zealand study was released on September 4, 2007 after observing over 1000 children born between April 1972 and March 1973. There was a 40% increase in attention problems among heavy television watchers. [msnbc.msn.com, September 4, 2007]
Pediatrics
Carl Landhuis, University of Otago in Dunedin, wrote in his recently released report, "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 a attention problems in adolescence." The report also stated, "Young children who watched a lot of television were more likely to continue the habit as they got older, but even if they did not, the damage was done." [msnbc.msn.com, September 4, 2007]
Landhuis Explanations
Landhuis offers reasons why this occurs:
- Television is fast-paced and the screen changes quickly. This could make real life seem slow and boring. School and homework are slow-paced.
- Concentration takes effort. If children are watching television instead of training their brains to focus on drawing, writing or games, the brain is not trained to focus.
- Children that are genetically predisposed to attention problems may be drawn to television.
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