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.”

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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