Breaking News: Idiot Box Turns Kids Into Idiots

by La Shawn on July 5, 2005

They needed a study for this? OK. According to New Scientist, the American Academy of Pediatrics says children should watch less TV.

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basils blog: 07.05.05 at 7:43 pm

{ 15 comments }

Fausta 07.05.05 at 11:23 am: I’m overwhelmed.
Evon Bachaus 07.05.05 at 11:31 am: To quote that guy in “Casablanca,” “I’m shocked.”
FL Mom 07.05.05 at 12:12 pm: I’m underwhelmed.

Butbutbutbut…the advertisers insist that tv ads have no effect on kids.
pajamazon 07.05.05 at 1:03 pm: I happened to see Discovery Kids Chanel for the first time the other afternoon. This is the chanel run by the New York Times. I only watched for about 5 minutes (about all I could stand), but during that time EACH commercial was set to a hip-hop beat. Then when the network promos came on after the comercials they too were wrapped (no pun intended), in hip-hop.
I can see a place for hip-hop and rap but I wonder why the New York Times thinks it’s so important that our kids are exposed to it before they can talk.
Monika 07.05.05 at 1:23 pm: I am so in the wrong line of work…

Update: Music classes teach music.

I can do that
Mark La Roi 07.05.05 at 2:37 pm: I wish I could figure out how to get paid to conduct some of these “D’UH” studies.

By the way, repeatedly splashing boiling water on your feet may cause discomfort when walking and difficulty wearing some types of shoes.

(Pay me, PAY ME!!)
Eddie 07.05.05 at 2:40 pm: For all these years, I just knew that there had to be something about television) that affected the minds of children. I am not the least bit surprised to find the correlation between the amount of time kids watch TV and their academic performance.

This article only confirms what I’ve suspected for quite some time. I have a feeling that my mother somehow knew this all along too.

*Mom, I hereby officially forgive you for all of those nights you turned off the TV and made us study.
________

La Shawn, is there a problem with Haloscan that you know of? I tried to trackback to your post but couldn’t. I’m a noob when it comes to using it so it may just be a user problem.
SCSIwuzzy 07.05.05 at 3:10 pm: Anyone ever see the short lived series on Fox, “Greg the Bunny”?
Comment #4 made me think of the episode where the young PA tries to remake the aging children’s educational show, Sweet Knuckle Junction, into a newer, hipper more edgy show that today’s fast paced toddlers coult relate to…
It became SK2.0, where the puppet Count Blah became Count A’ight, Dottie the farm girl now swung from a pole and Professor Ape was Prof-meister A.
The crowning touch was when all the fast pans, fancy graphics and strobing lights gave the children in the focus group siezures…
Laura 07.05.05 at 8:16 pm: My daughter used to ask and ask for a television in her bedroom. I said “no”.

Vindication.
Lisa Giliam 07.05.05 at 9:34 pm: I have only one word for this: DUH!!
Dan 07.06.05 at 12:20 pm: I’ve not researched the web, but I suspect that there’s a positive correlation between the hours of tv exposure and ADD problems and attendant Ritalin precsriptions. I read sometime ago that average tv “still” time, that is time without a POV change, pan or scene change, has dropped from 5-6 sec. to less than one sec.

Distracting, at the very least.
Tom Bosee 07.06.05 at 2:39 pm: La Shawn, I’d like to know from your readers how
much they retained in their memories from child-
hood TV viewing. I remember the plot outlines,
(stuck on an island, the defense attorney always
wins the case, our undercover agents always
triumph, etc.), but I have trouble recalling a
single episode! Regards, Tom
Raymond 07.06.05 at 2:49 pm: “Black Ritalin” Comes in many sizes and different materials. Generic brand comes in black or brown leather. Brand names (more expensive) come in alligator, snake and other exotice skins.

Comes in many strenghts. e.g. 30″ mg, 36″ mg, 40″ mg.

Most effective when delivered to unruly child with long, swooping, downward forehand motion.

Psycholigical effect increased after waiting until child thinks the “medication” dosing schedule has been forgotten or when exiting the bath tub.
Andy 07.06.05 at 6:48 pm: Raymond!
Andy 07.06.05 at 6:52 pm: All I know is that when we get the TV hookup to cable — with cable modem, that’s a two-fer — the V-Chip will be our best friend.