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Rachael Rettner
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.com rachael Rettner
livescience Staff Writer
livescience.com Mon May 3, 3:30 pm ET
Too much TV in childhood might have negative ramifications later in life, a new
study finds.
The results show the amount of time spent in front of the tube at 2 years of
age is linked with academic, social and health problems at age 10. For
instance, too much TV is associated with less engagement in classroom
activities, less exercise on weekends, and a higher chance of being picked on
by classmates in the fourth grade.
The findings held true even after the researchers accounted for many factors
that could have influenced the results, including: the child's gender, sleep
schedule, temperament problems, mother's education, number of parents in the
household, and even how much TV the children watched when they were in fourth
grade.
Why?
Early TV-viewing might have long-term influences, because it happens at a time
when both the brain and lifestyle habits are still developing, according to
study researcher Linda S. Pagani, a researcher at Universite de Montreal in
Canada.
"Television is a passive intellectual activity, television is a passive
physical activity," Pagani told LiveScience, "And when it occurs early on,
during the time that brain expansion is going on, during the time when
lifestyle habits and preferences are talking place - they're kind of
crystallizing - it can have extremely negative long-term effects."
However, it is important to note the study only showed an association, and not
a direct causal link. Also, the findings are based on self-reports from parents
and teachers, which might have affected the results.
The results are published in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics &
Adolescent Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association.
While previous research has looked at the effects of TV-viewing on children,
few have examined the implications for viewing at ages as young as 2.
The study involved about 1,300 children born in Quebec, Canada, between 1997
and 1998, who were followed up at various points in their lives. Parents were
asked to report how much TV their kids watched when they were 2 years old (29
months), and again at 4 years old (53 months).
When the children were in fourth grade (about 10 years old), their teachers
were asked to rate their math and reading performance as well as other aspects
of classroom activity, such as how well they pay attention and cooperate with
others. The teachers also assessed social interactions, including whether or
not the kids were aggressive or bullies themselves.
Lots of TV time
The average time spent watching TV at 29 months was 8.82 hours per week, or
about 1.2 hours per day. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
children under 2 watch no TV, and children over age 2 watch no more than 2
hours per day).
Every extra hour beyond average was associated with:
weight that is considered to be an indicator of body fat percentage).
While TV-watching might have benefits in terms of providing children and adults
with information, parents need to be aware of the possible consequences, both
social and academic, for such habits, Pagani said.
"The time that their kids watch television is the time that their kids are not
doing other intellectual pursuits," Pagani said. "You have to be learning your
social skills; you have to be learning how to operate."
The study was funded by Canada's Social Science and Humanities Research Council
Intentional Collaborations Fund.