Viewing Too much TV harmful for Children

Watching too much TV can have negative influence on the physical and mental development of the child, according to a report.

15 negative effects of watching television were found in youngsters such as autism, obesity, premature puberty, dementia etc. after analyzing 35 scientific studies.

According to Dr. Aric Sigman, the author of the report, parents should ban young children from watching TV and only make them watch it ‘judiciously’ when they grow up.

He added, "To allow children to continue to watch this much screen media is an abdication of parental responsibility - truly hands-off parenting."

It has been seen that children as young as three year has a television set in his or her room in Britain.

The report says that as children spend more time in watching TV then there is risk of developing obesity and diabetes. There is a strong and direct link between the permanent eyesight damage and watching TV. The viewing of the Idiot box in the early childhood also triggers autism in some kids.

The parents must keep a tab on the children and kids aged three to five years must be allowed to watch healthy programme and that too for just half an hour, says Dr. Sigman.

The sleeping pattern gets disturbed due to prolonged TV viewing among infants and toddlers.

In the report he wrote: "Given the population's sheer exposure time to this environmental factor, it is more than puzzling to consider how little awareness and action has resulted.

"While society has shown alarm over school dinners, it has ignored the high-screen diet children have been consuming."

The report is published in the science journal ‘Biologist.’