Television Addiction

Can television really be addicting or a threat to health? Obesity, cardio vascular disease, and lower back pains are just a few health declines caused by excessive television viewing. Many people do not realize that television is addicting. Through research, doctors have found that there are many negative health effects of watching too much TV.

Not only adults, but teens are also at high risk of negative health due to the television. The U.S. Department of Labor showed teen boys spent an average of 32.4 hours a week watching TV, and teenage girls spent about 28.2 hours a week at the television (U.S. Department of Labor). Health declines are expected when watching an excessive amount of television comes into play. All this time builds up and these people become hooked. They neglect activities such as exercising and many times this declines there overall health. In Winn's book, The Plug-In Drug, she shared specific declines. Obesity, diabetes, decline in overall fitness, sleeping disorders, and chronic lower back pains. Although older people develop diabetes and suffer the most negative health effects, it is beginning to develop at even younger ages.

Television can also put a decline of family relationships. If both parents work, statistics show that the child will spend more time glued to the tube than with a mom and dad combined. This is how the addiction if formed and started in many adolescents. The TV becomes the dominate object in many families. Parents feel bad about taking away viewing rights, so they let their children continue watching excessive amounts of the hypnotic screen. Typically, when help is offered, parents are relieved (Winn 273). Addiction can be developed early, taking over family relationships and can be hard to stop.

All of this time spent in front of the TV also affects their social skills. The ultimate result is often lack of relationships with others, erosion of social skills, and a steady pattern of isolation.