Is the increasing exposure to daily media such as TV, video games
and computers affecting the concentration levels of U.S. children?
This disturbing question prompted the Kaiser Family Foundation to
conduct a study to find the answer.
A growing complaint among teachers and school psychologists is
that it is becoming more and more difficult to hold their students'
attention. An expectation from young children has emerged--be constantly
entertained or lose interest. Experts stated that diagnoses of attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are skyrocketing and some teachers
attribute this exploding epidemic to the effects of the fast-paced
media.
Children Easily Distracted
Whether it's the creaking of the air vents or someone talking,
children are showing more signs of inability to focus on one task
at a time. Teachers have noticed that children's attention spans
are decreasing along with their ability to perform organizational
tasks.
Studies conducted with college students revealed that when it comes
to multi-tasking, mental performance is particularly poor.
"Generation M: Media Study in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds"
uncovered the following statistics:
- TVs are on most of the time according to 51 percent of those
polled
- Fifty-three percent have no rules about TV viewing
- Sixty-three percent say the TV is usually on during meals
- Boys spend 72 minutes a day on average playing video games
- Black children spend more than four hours in front of the tube
every day
The Need For Good Research on Children
and the Media
One pediatrician pointed out that children's exposure to violent
video games and TV have been found to encourage aggressive types
of behavior. He also reported that the more TV a child watched the
higher the likelihood that they would become overweight.
One major stumbling block in helping children sort out the advertising
claims and the negative effects of the media is the lack of "media
literacy" programs in schools.
Experts emphasized that the problem of the media required not only
more in-depth studies but also further involvement from parents
setting examples for their children on how to make good choices.
Kaiser
Family Foundation March 9, 2005 (Free Full-Text PDF)
USA
Today March 31, 2005
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