Studies: Too Much TV May Inhibit Learning

Studies: Too Much TV May Inhibit Learning - Yahoo! News

This is, I believe, one of the main reasons America remains IN THE DARK.

One of the studies involved nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.

A second study, looking at nearly 1,000 adults in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood.

A third study, based on nationally representative data on nearly 1,800 U.S. children, found that those who watched more than three hours of television daily before age 3 scored slightly worse on academic and intelligence tests at ages 6 and 7 than youngsters who watched less TV.

Some have gone back to that old bogeyman, content, to poke holes in the research.

Critics faulted the research for not adequately considering the content of the TV watched, but experts said it bolsters advice that children shouldn't have TVs in their rooms.

This, even though recent studies have shown that children who watch a lot of television are at greater risk for aggressive behavior than children who watch little television, without regard to the content. A 2001 Stanford University study showed that children who watch television and play video games are more likely to exhibit hostile or aggressive behavior than those whose television viewing and video game playing is limited.

This is one of the reasons why the US Army is getting in the video game business, and one of the reasons that Americans have lost a lot of their critical thinking skills in the last two generations (can you think of a better reason for the rise of the GOP and the ascendancy of the religious right?).

STOP WATCHING TELEVISION!!! THINK INSTEAD.