02-19-2007, 09:04 PM
So... as per usual I was watching Sky News this morning, and noticed there was an article about the harm TV can cause to kids on Sky Active, and right up at the top of list of stuff the report decided TV causes in children was Autism
Naturally I rofl'd and mentioned it in passing to the parents, and apparently they'd seen a full blown article where they were genuinely arguing the topic... then Whiteside' mentions she saw an identical article on Channel 4 (in the UK) on MSN.
Can you believe these guys are seriously considering that TV is a trigger for autism? XD - Here's the write up on the Sky News website:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3...71,00.html
Naturally I rofl'd and mentioned it in passing to the parents, and apparently they'd seen a full blown article where they were genuinely arguing the topic... then Whiteside' mentions she saw an identical article on Channel 4 (in the UK) on MSN.
Can you believe these guys are seriously considering that TV is a trigger for autism? XD - Here's the write up on the Sky News website:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,3...71,00.html
Quote:
Kids 'At Risk' From TV[/b]
Watching television poses an even greater risk to children's health than previously thought, a report has claimed.
Analysis of 35 scientific studies identified negative effects TV can have on youngsters.
They ranged from short-sightedness and obesity to premature puberty and autism, the report said.
Its author, psychologist Dr Aric Sigman, proposed banning the youngest children from watching TV and only introducing it "judiciously" after that.
The average six-year-old child in Britain will have spent one full year watching TV and more than half of three-year-olds have a TV set in their bedroom, he said.
Dr Sigman said: "To allow children to continue to watch this much screen media is an abdication of parental responsibility - truly hands-off parenting."
His report concludes that cutting youngsters' viewing time must become a health priority and could save the National Health Service money.
Watching TV suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin, which has important functions in the immune system, sleep cycle and the onset of puberty, it found.
Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s, partly because their average weight has increased but possibly also because of lower melatonin levels.
Reduced levels of melatonin may also make it more likely that cell DNA will produce cancer-causing mutations, the study noted.
Dr Sigman said it was "particularly disconcerting" that some academics warned against over-reacting to these findings.
Other findings included:
:: Early childhood television viewing may be a trigger for autism.
:: Permanent eyesight damage has been strongly linked to TV watching.
:: Viewing TV may be a bigger factor in causing obesity than diet or exercise.
:: The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases with each extra daily hour of television viewing among people aged 20 to 60.
:: TV viewing is associated with irregular sleeping patterns among infants and toddlers.
:: Watching television significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Watching television poses an even greater risk to children's health than previously thought, a report has claimed.
Analysis of 35 scientific studies identified negative effects TV can have on youngsters.
They ranged from short-sightedness and obesity to premature puberty and autism, the report said.
Its author, psychologist Dr Aric Sigman, proposed banning the youngest children from watching TV and only introducing it "judiciously" after that.
The average six-year-old child in Britain will have spent one full year watching TV and more than half of three-year-olds have a TV set in their bedroom, he said.
Dr Sigman said: "To allow children to continue to watch this much screen media is an abdication of parental responsibility - truly hands-off parenting."
His report concludes that cutting youngsters' viewing time must become a health priority and could save the National Health Service money.
Watching TV suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin, which has important functions in the immune system, sleep cycle and the onset of puberty, it found.
Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s, partly because their average weight has increased but possibly also because of lower melatonin levels.
Reduced levels of melatonin may also make it more likely that cell DNA will produce cancer-causing mutations, the study noted.
Dr Sigman said it was "particularly disconcerting" that some academics warned against over-reacting to these findings.
Other findings included:
:: Early childhood television viewing may be a trigger for autism.
:: Permanent eyesight damage has been strongly linked to TV watching.
:: Viewing TV may be a bigger factor in causing obesity than diet or exercise.
:: The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases with each extra daily hour of television viewing among people aged 20 to 60.
:: TV viewing is associated with irregular sleeping patterns among infants and toddlers.
:: Watching television significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
So uh... how do you cure TV poisoning? - Chelation? Exorcism? Visit stage plays at the theatre?
