Have you ever heard the saying, “…television will rot your brain…?” How about wondering “…Is obesity caused by television?” I mentioned in a prior post that we have been in the midst of an ice storm. Luckily, we haven’t been impacted directly, but others I know aren’t so fortunate. A large number of homes have been without electricity for over a week now, and that may not change for up to another three weeks.
Our Creature Comforts
We don’t usually consider the ramifications of losing our creature comforts. Most of us never consider the possibility that if we flip a switch in our home, things like lights and television won’t respond. It gets even more entertaining when its your kids. Several friends of mine have commented on how their kids have been completely taken aback by the fact that their television doesn’t work. No cartoons?!? Furthermore, no hot baths and a bedtime enforced by the fact that the sun has gone down. It isn’t all bad, though. Those same folks have commented on the fact that their families have talked more. After all, there’s nothing else to do, right? As the kids are getting their television shows back, they zone out before the t.v. for a few hours, mesmerized by the “boob tube.”
I made the mistake a few months ago of complaining to my parents that my boys are rotting their brains and bodies by spending so much time sitting in front of the television. They laughed at me, informing me that they had said the same thing about me, and their parents said the same thing about them. I guess its a universal concern parents have about their kids. The funny thing is that technology just keeps making it easier. For example, when I was a kid, we didn’t have cable television, so only had the four broadcast channels available to watch until I was a teenager. Then we got satellite. Naturally, my parents had fewer television choices when they were kids, and my children can’t even begin to fathom having only four channels to watch. So what did we do to entertain ourselves? We ran around outside, rode our bicycles, and generally got into trouble.
When I tell friends this story, they usually start referring to me as “Opie.”
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy watching television as much as the next person. In our house, we call it the modern equivalent to a caveman “…staring into the fire…” But I can honestly say that I watch much less than I did several years ago. Why? It’s a distraction from more important/pressing activities. Like staring at a computer monitor. See, I can laugh at myself…
Joking aside, there is a great deal of research to suggest that excessive television viewing could be at least partially responsible for childhood obesity, and in some cases, behavior problems among children (and adults for that matter). Research also suggests that the more time people spend in front of a television (or computer), the less likely they are to be “fit.” How much time to you spend in front of a television each week? How about in front of a computer, outside of work? Do you feel that that time negatively impacts your other goals?
