Negative Effects Of Television Addiction and Computer Addiction Show Children Need Protection

Studies of the negative effects of television addiction and
computer addiction show that addiction is not uncommon in American
society. Other studies about television addiction indicate that
children need parental protection to prevent them from becoming
addicted to TV.

When it comes to television and computers, for children's proper
education and health, child protection is a must. The use of the
term child protection, herein, refers to parental activities that protect
children from television and computer addiction.

Studies about negative effects of television addiction show the TV
addicts people through its tranquilizing numbing affect, causing
them to relax, become drowsy, and then desire to watch more
TV.

Other studies of the negative effects of television addiction found
that after the TV is switched off children feel passive and drained of
energy.

Children need their parents to protect them from this
hypnotic affect.

Studies of the negative effects of television addiction indicate that
TV viewing can seriously hamper a child's proper education and
learning when done either to excess or when the content proves
too extreme. Such activities distract children from learning,
create negative feelings and emotions that interfere with proper
education, and can lead to addiction.

One mother said that she limited her children's access to
computer games after she discovered that, not only were
they chronically fighting over these games, but her year
old baby was making computer game sounds, instead of
learning how to speak properly!

Watch the video explaining how Freudian psychology was used
through advertising to make people want to buy products,
products they didn't even need, by clicking here. This same
approach is used on our children each weekend when they
watch a reported 200 TV ads in four hours of kid's morning
cartoons.

Child protection is a consideration when it comes to
enrolling very young children in highly structured
academic programs. With increased academic competition,
some parents, to help their children get a jump on their
peers, are enrolling them into school at earlier and
earlier ages. The problem is that these highly structured
programs may interfere with child play, play that may be
genetically geared to inherently enhance brain development
and function, play that engenders motivation and joy in
learning.

There is a tendency on the part of some adults, usually
those who failed to experience play themselves,
not to allow for play in their children's lives; thereby,
adultifying their children, that is to say, making little
adults of their kids. This can stunt the normal child
development of play with all of its creativity, imagination,
and, most of all, just plain fun. The lack of wholesome
play is likely to negatively affect the normal stages
of child development, and could result in an adult with
a more rigid outlook on life, less likely to tolerate
individual differences, someone less likely to have fun
himself or to laugh at himself, unless drugs or alcohol
abuse is involved.

Hanging out with a more mature crowd, or watching
television shows designed for mature audiences at too early
an age can cause the same adultifying of your child.

In the interest of proper education, good parenting means
paying attention to research based conclusions, such as
studies about the negative effects of television addiction
and computer addiction.

For studies about the negative effects of television
addiction and child protection, click here.

 Click, here, for research pertaining to computer
addiction.

 Studies of the negative effects of television addiction found that:


  • TV has a numbing tranquilizing affect on children,
    causing them to desire to watch even more TV.

  • TV leaves children passive and lacking in energy.

  • Children who view horror and actions movies get lower
    school grades.

  • Children who watched movies created for mature audiences
    scored lower grades.

  • Children who watched more than four hours of television
    during a weekday scored lower grades than those who
    watched less.


For the most part, research on computer addiction and video games
has found a similar pattern as studies about television addiction.
Research conclusions, regarding computer addiction that
are pertinent to child protection are as follows:


  1. Children who spend more time playing computer games are
    more likely to be classified as overweight or obese.

  2. The more time kids play computer games, the more both
    their attention spans and grades suffer.

  3. Watching violent video games increases aggression in
    young children over both the short and long term.

  4. Video game addiction has caused children to flunk out,
    of school, lose their friends, and, even, commit suicide.

  5. Once you allow your children to be addicted, it's
    difficult to stop them.

  6. Both the amount of time and content of video games
    matter. Aggression and obesity increase with time watched
    and the extreme content of video games.


As well as pressuring children into mature behavior, studies of the
effects of television addiction, and computer/video games,
suggest the following recommendations:


  1. Set a good example, by not watching TV while your
    children are doing homework.

  2. Spend time together, as a family, doing healthy
    activities, like hiking or hobbies, rather than watching TV.
    Your children will thank you later on, and your mental and
    physical health will be better.

  3. Heed TV and computer game ratings.

  4. Don't forget to use parental controls.

  5. Put your children on a media diet.

  6. Set limits and logical consequences. Don't be afraid to
    say no.

  7. Play what your kids play and watch what they watch to
    learn what they're experiencing.

  8. For very young children, hard core, rigid academics may
    have a downside by negatively affecting brain function,
    motivation and spirit. For children there is no substitute
    for good, old fashioned play.

  9. Exposure to mature televisions shows, hanging out with
    mature crowds or raising kids to be too mature at an early
    age, robs kids of their childhoods.

  10. Did you know that television viewing is more highly
    correlated to teen suicide than alcohol or drug use?
    Click here for TV causes of child abuse.

A final note: Television, computer and video games are not
play activities since studies on the negative effects of television
addiction show that these activities interfere with successful child
functioning and damage children's health, whereas play does
the exact opposite.

Child's play is usually characterized by mind enlivening
imagination, creativity, social cooperation, and physical
movement. One tends to be mind elevating and enlivening,
the other, mind numbing. Therefore, always encourage your
child to play the old fashioned way.

Children & the Delayed Effect of TV Violence


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