TV can harm your kids!

I believe that many of our health problems are simply the result of our unhealthy lifestyles and contend that we would need fewer drugs and hospitals if we did more to educate and motivate our people, especially our children, to adopt healthier habits.

Television is certainly one of the most popular devices in human history. Studies in the United States (US) show that 98 per cent of homes have one or more television sets. Television has revolutionised the way we keep in touch with our world and can be a wonderful learning tool. There are wonderful educational and documentary programmes on television that help us to learn about and develop a greater respect for the world we live in. But is there a dark side to television?

How much television do children watch? In the US, the average child watches about four hours of television per day, and every year views tens of thousands of commercials that often promote unhealthy habits, foods, and snacks. They are exposed to thousands of episodes of violence and instances of drug abuse and inappropriate sexual activity. By the time most children finish high school, they have spent nearly twice as many hours watching television as in the classroom. I fear that the Jamaican child is heading in the same direction.

Although some experts still argue over the ill effects of excessive television watching on children, scientific research reveals some serious problems.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Children are usually sitting still when watching television and use the fewest calories of any activity except sleeping. These children get less exercise and see more commercials for unhealthy foods and drinks the more television they watch. They also tend to consume such foods more than the children who are playing outdoors.

It is, therefore, no surprise that we now face an epidemic of childhood obesity. One expert, Dr William H. Dietz of the Centers for Disease Control, believes that a reduction in television viewing may be the most effective measure in reducing childhood obesity.

BRAIN DAMAGE

Research on brain function shows evidence of direct harm to the brains of young children who watch television for two or more hours per day. Watching television promotes the development of brain circuits, or 'mental habits', that result in decreased attention span, increased aggression, and lower tolerance levels. There is also impaired development of the language circuits in the brain.

Children who watch 10 or more hours of television per week have lower reading scores and perform less well academically when compared to youngsters who spend less time watching television.

Dr Jane M. Healy, an educational psychologist, reported to the American Academy of Pediatrics that many parents of children diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder (ADD) found the difficulty markedly improved after they took away their children's television-viewing privileges.

OVERSTIMULATION

Dr Dimitri Christakis, at the Children's Hospital in Seattle, claims that watching television can cause a child's developing mind to experience unnatural levels of stimulation. Children exposed to this excess stimulation in early childhood continue to be affected in later life. They have difficulty in dealing with the slower pace of school life and homework. This, he says, is made worse by the rapid image change that television programme makers deliberately use to keep young children interested. His research shows that each hour per day watching increased a child's risk of ADD by 10 per cent.

He says: "Television may be one of the most damaging forces in a child's life, causing the child to perceive the world in a different way. TV presents a view of the world that is fragmented and transitory. Stories and films move from cut to cut, scene to scene, and present an unrealistic timeline of action, emotions, and events. The child simply observes and feels all this and finds it difficult to separate this from their own reality. When the TV stops, the stimulation stops, and they are left with a sense that life has stopped and that something is missing."

BAD HABITS

Other problems associated with excessive television viewing are poor sleep and a greater likelihood of taking up cigarette smoking. A study at the Center for Child Health Outcomes in San Diego found that children aged 10 to 15 who watched five or more hours of television a day were six times as likely to start smoking as those who watched less than two hours a day.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Start by taking control and setting limits. Decide specifically how long (one or two hours at the most), and when, your child can watch television each day. Once you have set the limit, stick to it. Parents need to invest more time with their children. Rather than saying, 'stop watching TV now', try 'Let's turn off the television so we can read a book, take a bike ride, or play with your friend'.

Do not use the television as a reward or punishment as that only increases its value in your child's mind. Plan your child's viewing by using a programme guide to select the show, and turn the television off when the show ends. Avoid letting your child watch television during meals or while doing homework, and whenever possible, watch with your children and talk about what you see. Make sure young children know that the characters in the shows are not real. Do not let them watch programmes, cartoons, or newscasts that depict violence or sexual activity. Explain to them that commercials are trying to make people want things they may not need.

Set a good example by limiting your own television viewing. Consider setting aside one day a week as a 'no TV Day'.

You may email Dr Vendryes at tonyvendryes@gmail.com and listen to An Ounce of Prevention on POWER106FM on Fridays at 8:15 pm. His new book An Ounce of Prevention - Especially for Women is available from local bookstores and on the Internet

Children who watch 10 or more hours of television per week have lower reading scores and perform less well academically when compared to youngsters who spend less time watching television