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View Full Version : Can TV make you wstupid?


Marzapan741
Sep 23, 2007, 10:40 AM
Someone told me watching TV makes you stupid, like it kills braincells?

Sounds like a load of rubbish to me?

Curlyben
Sep 23, 2007, 10:43 AM
Really depends on how much you watch.
It certainly doesn't do anything for your spelling.

Marzapan741
Sep 23, 2007, 10:46 AM
Hahah very funny Ben :p
Just a typo

Okay say I watch 20 hours of TV (not true), I would lose brain cells?

Curlyben
Sep 23, 2007, 10:52 AM
20 hours a DAY then yes, a week doubtful.
I suppose it depends on what you are watching.

Marzapan741
Sep 23, 2007, 10:55 AM
Lol, I don't understand though why TV would make you stupid.

I watch it a lot and have a 92 average o.O

NeedKarma
Sep 23, 2007, 11:26 AM
Anything can make anyone stupid - it depends on the person.

Curlyben
Sep 23, 2007, 12:51 PM
92 average what ? IQ?

firmbeliever
Sep 23, 2007, 01:17 PM
Here's something interesting...
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3603235.stm
Children under two should not be allowed to watch any TV, experts say.

Older children should watch no more than two hours a day, the researchers at the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Centre in Seattle said.

Each hour in front of the TV increased a child's chances of attention deficit disorder by 10%, their research in the Pediatrics journal showed.

The study of 1,345 children showed three hours TV a day made children 30% more likely to have the disorder.

Dr Dimitri Christakis at the children's hospital led the study. He said: "The newborn brain develops very rapidly during the first two to three years of life. It's really being wired."

Children who were exposed to the unrealistic levels of stimulation at a young age continued to expect this in later life, leading to difficulty dealing with the slower pace of school and homework, he said.

"TV can cause the developing mind to experience unnatural levels of stimulation," he said.

Rapid

This was made worse by the rapid image change that television makers used to keep young children interested, Dr Christakis added.

Parents were questioned about their children's viewing habits and asked to rate their behaviour at age seven on a scale similar to that used to diagnose attention deficit disorders.

The youngsters who watched the most television were more likely to rank within the top 10% for concentration problems, impulsiveness, restlessness and being easily confused.

Frederick Zimmerman of the University of Washington in Seattle, another of the authors, said it was impossible to say what a "safe" level of TV viewing would be for children between the ages of one and three.

"Each hour has an additional risk. You might say there's no safe level since there's a small but increased risk with each hour," he said.

"Things are a trade-off. Some parents might want to take that risk. We didn't find a safe level in that sense."

Between three and five per cent of children in the US are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.

The researchers admitted there could be problems in the study as the parents' views may not be totally accurate.

Also it was not possible to know whether the children already had attention problems early on that attracted them to TV viewing.
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michealb
Sep 23, 2007, 01:19 PM
A TV doesn't kill brain cells, people that tell you it makes you dumber are suggesting you could use the time you spend watching TV doing something else that would make you smarter, like reading a book.

On a side note good grade don't mean your smart. An IQ test is a better measure but not perfect. I think common sense is the best measurement but there isn't really a test for that, I think it serves people the best once they are in the real world.

Marzapan741
Sep 23, 2007, 01:25 PM
Unfortunately my school doesn't offer an IQ test :[

cutybumbum
Sep 23, 2007, 02:10 PM
Im not sure if TV can make you stupid , but pretty sure who spend a lot of time watching TV is possibly retarded.

Marzapan741
Sep 23, 2007, 02:16 PM
Hahaha that can't be me :p