Children who spend a lot of time in front of the television screen suffer the consequences as adults. They are more at risk of suffering from addictions to tobacco, alcohol or gambling.
- According to ANSES, excessive exposure to screens during childhood can be associated with memory, sleep and attention problems, but also with depression, isolation and obesity.
- Television is not recommended before the age of three because it can hinder the development of children.
Children should not watch television before the age of three. It is the recommendation of the french pediatric society. But after this age, it is important to remain vigilant. Too much time spent in front of the small screen increases the risk of suffering from various pathologies. Recently, a research team from the University of Otago, located in New Zealand, showed that children and adolescents who watch a lot of television are exposed to a higher risk of addictions in adulthood. The results of their study were published in International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
Television, a gateway to other addictions
“People often talk about watching television as an addiction, says Helena McAnally, co-author of the study. This research indicates that, for some people, television viewing may be an early expression of an addictive disorder or may later lead to substance abuse and other addictive disorders.“With the research team, they came to this conclusion after analyzing data from a multidisciplinary health study, which started in 1972. It allowed them to observe the evolution of a group of children, through adulthood. The amount of time spent in front of the television each day was measured when the participants were between the ages of 5 and 15. On average, they spent more than 2 hours in front of the television each day. The results show that boys watch more television than girls.
Cannabis, tobacco, gambling, alcohol: multiple addiction risks linked to television
Before adulthood, this excess time spent in front of the television already has consequences. Scientists have found that children who watch the small screen the most have a harder time exercising self-control, compared to other children. As adults, these same children were at higher risk for substance use disorders, such as tobacco, and gambling.”In addition to smoking and gambling, study results showed a strong link between excessive television viewing during adolescence and a higher risk of alcohol and cannabis-related disorders.“, add the authors.
“To our knowledge, this research is among the first to assess how a common, but potentially addictive behavior, such as television viewing, is related to later substance use and compulsive gambling disorders.”, completes the co-author of the study, Bob Hancox. However, the data are old, and since childhood the time spent watching television has probably increased. “On television, other forms of screen-related behavior have been added, such as online games, which can be even more “addictive”the authors point out.
