Bad news for TV fans. Sitting too close to the TV has been proved to be bad for childrens eyes, but a new study also show too much television may be linked to a bad attention span. According to a large long-term study carried out by Erik
Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence, and a starring 40 per cent increase in attention problems among heavy TV viewer.
Symptoms of attention problems included short attention span, poor concentration, and being easily distracted, because children who watch a lot of television may become less tolerant of slower-paced and more mundane tasks, such as school or house work.
Erik Landhuis, reported by in New Scientist, says that while the findings don’t actually prove TV viewing causes attention problems, it may be that children prone to attention problems may be drawn to watching television.
Generally, he says, “Our results show that the net effect of television seems to be adverse.”
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Television
In Review: Doctor Who – The Robot Revolution 
Look Back in Anxiety: Doctor Who, Season One, 2024, – Part Two – The Doctor, Disney and Me 
Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Celebrations outlined, new “Hidden Dangers” storyline teased 
Doctor Who’s Nicola Bryant joins “Dark Legacies” comic “cast”