Buzz
Television, as deeply embedded in American culture as baseball, has become a staple of daily life. Yet, researchers have identified numerous harmful effects associated with excessive TV viewing. Below are ten ways that indulging in TV can negatively impact your health.
10. Increases Cholesterol Levels
A 1990 study conducted by the University of California, Irvine, examined the cholesterol levels of children to determine if TV viewing or video gaming played a role. The findings were alarming: Children who spent more time watching TV showed higher cholesterol levels. Those who watched television for four hours daily were almost four times more likely to develop heart disease in adulthood.
The study revealed that children who spent more time watching TV tended to consume unhealthy diets and engaged in little to no physical activity. (The research primarily focused on white middle-class children.)
9. Increases Aggressive Behavior
In 1960, Professor Rowel Huesmann initiated a study to explore the impact of violent media on children. A decade later, his team discovered a clear connection between exposure to media violence and increased aggressive behavior in children. Those exposed to violent content were more prone to act aggressively compared to their peers who were not.
Although opinions may vary on whether media violence constitutes a 'public threat,' the association is often compared to the relationship between smoking and lung cancer. Just as not all smokers develop cancer, not all individuals exposed to violent media become violent, but it remains a significant contributing factor.
8. Reduces Cognitive Abilities
A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University, led by Dina Borzekowski, revealed that children who watched more than two hours of television daily, particularly those with a TV in their bedrooms, performed notably worse on standardized tests compared to their peers. (Interestingly, the study also noted that having access to a computer with the internet improved test scores.)
Additionally, research in New Zealand found that children and teenagers who spent the most time watching TV achieved the lowest levels of educational attainment. The study tracked approximately 1,000 randomly selected individuals from infancy until the age of 26. Those who watched less TV were more likely to graduate from both high school and college.
7. Decreases Sperm Count
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that men leading sedentary lifestyles, particularly those who spent extended periods watching TV, had sperm counts 44 percent lower than men who rarely watched television. The threshold for reduced sperm counts was set at 20 hours per week. (While this may seem high, it averages to less than three hours daily.)
On the other hand, men who engaged in at least 14 hours of exercise weekly exhibited the highest sperm counts. It’s important to note that sperm quality, including motility and shape, remained unchanged. When questioned about why television was specifically highlighted, Jorge Chavarro, the study’s senior author, explained: 'A key factor seems to be that TV viewers are exposed to food advertisements, which can increase hunger and lead to overeating.'
6. Encourages Criminal Behavior
A British research team analyzed over 11,000 children born between 2000 and 2002 and discovered that those who watched three or more hours of TV daily were more prone to antisocial behaviors like bullying or theft. Interestingly, no significant correlation was found between playing video games for three or more hours weekly and such behaviors.
One explanation for the heightened risk of criminal behavior linked to television is the prevalence of violence in many programs, as highlighted by a New Zealand study involving over 1,000 participants. The study found an average of eight violent incidents per hour, with children’s shows, including cartoons, containing even higher levels of violence.
5. Reduces Survival Rates for Colon Cancer
Research involving more than 1,500 colorectal cancer patients revealed that those who watched more TV before diagnosis had a significantly higher likelihood of dying within five years compared to those who watched little to no television. However, no notable connection was found between post-diagnosis TV habits and patient mortality.
Another study by the US National Cancer Institute, analyzing over 566,000 individuals, identified a notable association between TV viewing, physical activity, and cancer survivability, though it couldn’t establish causation. Hannah Arem, the study’s author, stated: 'The risk of dying from colorectal cancer was greater among those who watched more TV [ . . . ], but the correlations lacked statistical significance.' Nevertheless, the study reinforced a common conclusion: Engaging in some physical activity is better than none.
4. Disrupts Sleep Patterns
A collaborative study by MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the Harvard School of Public Health aimed to explore the impact of various factors during pregnancy and early childhood. Researchers evaluated criteria such as the amount of time infants spent in rooms with a TV on, the duration older children spent watching TV, and whether children slept in rooms containing a television.
The findings revealed that each hour of TV viewing reduced sleep by seven minutes, and having a TV in the bedroom led to 30 fewer minutes of sleep. (The effect was more pronounced in boys than in girls.) A parallel study in Spain found that nine-year-olds watching at least five hours of TV daily slept one hour less than those who watched a maximum of one and a half hours.
3. Shortens Lifespan
A study examining the TV-watching habits of Australians found that excessive television viewing can significantly shorten lifespan. Researchers demonstrated that watching six hours daily could reduce life expectancy by 4.8 years. Additionally, each hour of TV watched after the age of 25 cuts life expectancy by 22 minutes.
A related study by the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that engaging in more than three hours of TV or similar sedentary activities daily raises the risk of premature death by 13 percent, often due to conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
2. Increases Alcohol Consumption
A collaborative team of researchers from the Netherlands and Canada gathered 80 young men aged 18–29 and divided them into groups to watch TV programs featuring varying levels of alcohol consumption. The study revealed that participants consumed an average of 1.5 additional bottles of beer or wine when exposed to movies or ads heavily showcasing alcohol, compared to those who watched content without such depictions.
Although the study’s authors acknowledged they couldn’t confirm long-term behavioral changes from TV viewing, the immediate effects were clear. Rutger Engels, one of the researchers, noted that 'it might act as a trigger, influencing cravings and subsequent drinking in individuals who already consume alcohol.'
1. Impairs Language Development
While this may not directly concern the readers of this list, two separate studies have demonstrated that increased TV exposure in babies correlates with delayed speech development.
One study by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute tracked over 300 children, equipping them with audio recorders worn for 12 to 16 hours daily. Researchers found that each hour of TV exposure led to a notable reduction in the number of words babies heard (a drop of 770 words per recording session). This reduction in verbal input subsequently decreased the babies’ vocalizations, hindering their language growth.
Another study found that infants learn more effectively through direct interaction. When nine-month-old American babies were exposed to a live Mandarin speaker, they demonstrated the ability to distinguish specific speech sounds after just 12 sessions. In contrast, when the same babies watched a recording of a Mandarin speaker on TV, they showed no improvement in their ability to differentiate those sounds.
