Effects of Too Much TV
As
winter continues, we will find that kids are less willing to go outside
and play after school and see the transition to an increase in watching
TV. This blog will help with understanding the effects of having too
much time in front of the screen. According to the American Academy of
Pediatrics media use by children under the age of 2 should be
discouraged as well as limiting older children’s TV time to no more than
one or two hours a day. Too much screen time has been associated to:
Obesity.
The
more TV your child watches, the greater his or her risk is of becoming
overweight because of the lack of movement and activity. Kids can also
start to develop cravings for junk food that they see promoted on
advertisements.
Irregular sleep.
The
more TV your child watches, the more likely they are to have trouble
falling asleep or having abnormal sleep schedules. Sleep loss can also
lead to decreases in the immune system as well as increase snacking.
Impaired academic performance.
Elementary students who have TVs in their bedrooms tend to perform
worse on tests than do those who don’t have TVs in their bedrooms.
Aches and pains.
The
positions that children sit in while watching TV can put their spines
in positions for long periods of time that they are not accustomed to.
These positions can cause abnormal strain to muscles and joints causing
soreness as well as limited flexibility.Things you can do to help your children limit time spent in front of the TV include closer monitoring, keep TVs out of the bedrooms, suggest other activities, and don’t allow eating in front of the TV. Also if your children start to complain about aches and pains bring them in to your chiropractor to get treated.
For more information regarding this article visit: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/children-and-tv/MY00522.
