It's official: reading books gives your children asthma.That's the only conclusion I can come to after reading this study that says that children between the ages of three and eight who watch two hours of television a day or more are at a higher risk to develop asthma. Now, they're not saying that the actual habit of watching television gives you asthma, they're saying that children who sit around and don't go outside to play and lead an active lifestyle are more at risk.
So wait a second, if it's not the act of watching TV that does this, doesn't that mean that anything that doesn't have you moving would cause asthma, including reading classic novels and encyclopedias on your bed? Or sleeping? Or playing a board game with your mom?
I don't think that anyone should watch TV all day long (unless you can find a job writing about it!), but some of these studies are just incomplete and misleading. I'd like to see a study that shows how many people who watched a lot of TV as a kid went on to have successful, healthy lives.
[via TV Tattle]
Have any questions for Rich Sommer of Mad Men? Ask them here!
Syfy's Alice -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Surprising shows, decade-end lists, and the Commenter of the Week!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-04-2009 @ 2:04PM
cdawg said...
i'm SO sick of these studies. EXACTLY!
TV doesn't give your kids asthma. The fact that those parents dont make their kids go outside and play and run around IN ADDITION to watching tv is what gives kids asthma.
Reply
3-04-2009 @ 2:20PM
Jason said...
waching theeefeeee wiw rocht yowur chteethhhh and thlurrr yowur thpeeckh. It will also have adverse affects on your written text.
Reply
3-04-2009 @ 2:46PM
Martin said...
So apparently, parents who don't keep their kids active give kids asthma. Yet another thing that is to blame on parenting and not TV or videogames!
You know what else gives kids asthma!! Studies about whether or not TV gives kids asthma!!!
by the way, this article reminded me of the old HBO series Dream On... Yeah the main character was successful and healthy, but he thought in TV and had struggling relationships... but yet again, that was because of bad parenting which was basically letting the TV be a babysitter 24/7
Reply
3-04-2009 @ 3:55PM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
Don't worry. Nielsen Media Research will be coming out with their own study about how great watching tv is for everyone and how more people in the US are watching more tv than ever before. They have to protect their multi-billion dollar empire thats built on bullshit from studies like these, which are also bullshit.
Reply
3-04-2009 @ 4:14PM
Michael said...
You know fat people and violence didn't exist before TV, oh wait they've existed since the beginning of man, ok I blame the monkeys that we came from maybe if we kill all the monkey all our problems with violence and obesity will be solved
Reply