TV Addiction - part 1
Addiction"Television Addiction is No Mere Metaphor"headline of a Scientific American magazine article
The February 2002 of Scientific American featured a cover story on television addiction (you have to pay to read the whole thing). And the more recent Scientific American Mind (volume 14, #1) featured the same story.
Excerpts from the article:
"Most of the criteria of substance dependence can apply to people who watch a lot of TV."
"...University of British Columbia studied a mountain community that had no television until cable finally arrived. Over time, both adults and children in the town became less creative in problem solving, less able to persevere at tasks, and less tolerant of unstructured time."
"To some researchers, the most convincing parallel between TV and addictive drugs is that people experience withdrawal symptoms when they cut back on viewing."
There's also evidence that watching television lowers metabolism. That means you could end up burning fewer calories sitting on the couch watching television than simply sitting on the couch, doing nothing, with the television off.
At least that's an implication. And of course there are a lot of studies linking television watching with obesity in both kids and adults.
[Note: while these things could happen even if you got rid of television but ended up watching six hours a day of rental or downloaded movies]
Labels: Facts
posted by Fleur De La Lune @ 6:12 pm
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