Extensive Television Viewing and the Development of Attention and Learning Difficulties During Adolescence

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association of television viewing with educational and intellectual outcomes during adolescence and early adulthood.Design: Prospective epidemiological study.Setting: Families participating in the Children in the Community Study, a prospective longitudinal investigation, were interviewed at mean offspring ages 14, 16, and 22 years.Participants: A community-based sample of 678 families from upstate New York.Main Exposures: Television viewing, attention difficulties, learning difficulties, and educational achievement during adolescence and early adulthood. Main Outcome Measures:The Disorganizing Poverty Interview and age-appropriate versions of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children.Results: Frequent television viewing during adolescence was associated with elevated risk for subsequent attention and learning difficulties after family characteristics and prior cognitive difficulties were controlled. Youths who watched 1 or more hours of television per day at mean age 14 years were at elevated risk for poor homework completion, negative attitudes toward school, poor grades, and long-term academic failure. Youths who watched 3 or more hours of television per day were the most likely to experience these outcomes. In addition, youths who watched 3 or more hours of television per day were at elevated risk for subsequent attention problems and were the least likely to receive postsecondary education. There was little evidence of bidirectionality in the association of television viewing with attention and learning difficulties. Conclusion:Frequent television viewing during adolescence may be associated with risk for development of attention problems, learning difficulties, and adverse longterm educational outcomes.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161:480-486

Television and Video Game Exposure and the Development of Attention Problems

“…Furthermore, only 1 published study has examined television exposure in relation to attention problems beyond age 16. 9 More research with samples of late adolescents and adults would be valuable in establishing the persistence of the association of television exposure and attention problems into late adolescence and early adulthood. These studies addressed 3 questions: (1) Are both television and video game exposures associated with greater concurrent attention problems?…”

“…1,2 Research has examined exposure to television and video games in childhood and adolescence as a potential risk factor for subsequent attention problems. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] It has been hypothesized that most television shows are so exciting that children who frequently watch television have more difficulty paying attention to less exciting tasks (eg, school work). 3 Others have hypothesized that because most television programs involve rapid changes in focus, frequent exposure to television may harm children's abilities to sustain focus on tasks that are not inherently attention-grabbing.…”

“…Most cross-sectional studies (single time point) have found television exposure to be associated with greater attention problems. [4][5][6][7] Longitudinal studies of television viewing have generally found a similar link, providing evidence that television viewing is a risk factor for subsequent attention problems 3,[8][9][10][11] ; however, a few studies have not found a statistically significant association (single time point or longitudinal) between television viewing and attention problems. [12][13][14] Fewer studies to date have examined the possibility that video games can produce a similar increase in attention problems.…”

Pediatricians and Television: It’s Time to Rethink Our Messaging and Our Efforts

“…[1][2][3][4] It interferes with executive function 5 and increases the risk of attentional problems. 6,7 If they watch programming that contains sex, it can make them have sex earlier. 8,9 It can make them more aggressive.…”

Impact of social networking sites on study habits among Saudi nursing students in Hail University

“…The provision and accessibility of information inside the internet can be the reason why students pick to use it in preference to the library for their paper paintings. Johnson et al (2007) said that significant TV viewing during formative years and early adulthood can be correlated with attention and studying problems and negative instructional consequences. End result indicated that the ones looking TV for more than an hour a day have been at a greater chance for homework incompletion, decreased interest closer to faculty, low grades and successive faculty failure.…”