TV watching and young children

TV has become an essential part of our homes and this media is the most popular form of entertainment. Young children also become addict of tv watching as they grow. But are we neglecting the bad effects of tv watching by not monitoring the schedule of our kids sitting in front of tv?

Not only that there are many harmful effects of tv watching, it is proved by research that tv watching may cause or trigger the cause of autism among young children.

A study at Cornell University performed in 2006 showed that a statistically significant relationship exists between autism rates and television habits of children under three. Other evidence showed that the more time toddlers spent watching television the more likely they were to develop autism-related symptoms. The correlation seemed to coincide with the increased prevalence of cable television and VCR availability in homes during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

It was concluded that nearly 40 percent of autism diagnoses in the three states studied is the result of television watching." Thus the study has two separate findings: that having cable television in the home increased autism rates in California and Pennsylvania somewhat, and that more hours of actually watching television increased autism in California, Oregon, and Washington by a lot.

This is not to say that the researchers found a direct correlation between television and autism, only that there is a relationship. The researchers do not claim television to be a "cause" of autism, only that television may "trigger" symptoms. There is also no indication as to how television may be a factor so there is a lot of objection to the validity of the findings. One such retort is the possibility that indoor air quality may be a bigger factor in triggering autistic symptoms than television.

Unfortunately the researches made a pretty hefty leap of faith in their testing. Their conclusions are based on data collected in areas with high rates of precipitation. They assumed that on rainy days children spent more time inside and thus watched television during that time. This led to evidence that these areas had greater instances of autism which could lead some to argue that rain has just as much causality as television when it comes to autism.

In 2003, a survey by the U.S. Department of Education found that autism rates were higher in northern, less sunny states while southern, sunnier states had lower autism cases. This led them to wonder if the issue was more with vitamin D deficiency rather than indoor air quality, rainy weather, or television.

Despite these conclusions and the lack of any follow up studies, looking at how television affects us on a biological level as a whole is well worth investigating. Psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman analyzed 35 different scientific studies and found that television is harmful in many different ways, including the following:

• Television has been linked to eyesight damage.

• Television disrupts sleep patterns.

• Television disrupts your attention span.

• Television plays a large role in obesity and type 2 diabetes.

• Television may play a role in the development of Alzheimer's.

• Television suppresses the production of melatonin which can lead to cancerous cell mutations. Lower melatonin levels may also be a factor in why girls are reaching puberty at a much earlier age than in the 1950s.

• Brain scans show that within 30 seconds of starting to watch television, a critical part of your thinking brain shuts down.

On top of all this, a study by the American Heart Association found that watching television is as bad for your heart as smoking or high cholesterol. The numbers are staggering. For ever hour spent watching television, your risk of death increases by nearly 11 percent. Four hours in front of the television increases your risk of heart attack by 80 percent.

Related links:
* 'Does Watching TV Cause Autism?'

* 'TV Really Might Cause Autism'

* 'Cornell University research report'

* 'Children and the Media: Control the Effects of Television Watching with Literacy Programs'

* How addiction of Watching TV is affecting our lives?
* TV watching may cause psychological distress among children

Raising awareness about Autism and Asperger Syndrome among children

Shah Rukh Khan's block buster movie 'My Name Is Khan' is a theme based love story about a child with 'Asperger syndrome'. These kind of movies help raising awareness about the kids around our society with special needs. Media is playing an important role about spreading information about kids showing abnormal behaviors.

Hollywood movies about these topics are:

o Rain Man: (1988 Golden Globe Winner for Best Film) a story of Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant, who is being cared for by his younger brother played by actor Tom Cruise.
o Mozart and the Whale: Starring Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell, Mozart and the Whale is a story of two individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome who develop a romantic relationship after meeting at an autism support group. Mozart and the Whale, released in 2005, has drawn praise by many in the autism community for showing that individuals on the autism spectrum can and do have happy, loving relationships.
o Snow Cake: Released in 2006, Snow Cake stars Golden Globe winner Sigourney Weaver playing the role of Linda Freeman. Freeman is a high-functioning autistic who gets entwined with an ex-convict and her small town’s harlot.
o Autism the Musical: It is a documentary that follows the lives of five children with autism that write and produce their own musical. According to Blockbuster Online, “at a time when one in 150 children born in the United States is diagnosed with autism, filmmaker Tricia Regan takes an optimistic approach to this troubling trend.”

According to the Autism Research Institute, an "autistic savant refers to individuals with autism who have extraordinary skills not exhibited by most persons.”

One in every 110 children born in the Unites States will display some form of autism spectrum disorder, making it the fastest growing developmental disability.

Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder and one type of autism spectrum disorder. Asperger syndrome develops in childhood and can impact a child's ability to socialize and communicate normally. The difference between the two disorders is that people with Asperger syndrome develop and can use language skills, while people with autism disorder have severe delays in developing language skills as a child and often lose what they have learned as they grow.

Parents should be vigilant about monitoring all aspects of their child's development and mental health. Teachers at school can also play an important role by keeping a note of kid's mental development record to identify any kind of symptoms of disability in learning.

Symptoms of ADHD: The predominant symptoms or behaviors of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These behaviors result in further symptoms, including difficulties with concentration, controlling behavior, and remaining focused on a task or activity. People with ADHD may also experience hyperactivity or over-activity.
More at:'Introduction to ADHD'

Symptoms of Autism: Problems with both verbal and non-verbal communication, trouble sharing emotions, lack of understanding of how others think and feel, or repetitive behaviors such as repeating words or actions and playing in repetitive ways.

o Impaired social interaction
o Not responding to name
o Not look at people
o Not smiling - note that normal newborns do not smile for several weeks
o Avoid eye contact

More at: 'Autism'

Related useful links:

* Autism Research Institute: 'Autism'

* Top 10 Health Resources on Autism Videos
* 'Top 10 Health Resources on ADHD Videos and compiled helpful research notes'
* ADHD and Autism- Is There a Connection?
* A recent 'Science Daily' report: 'Autism Problems Explained In New Research'