ADD/ADHD and The Link With Childhood TV Habits

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional
Problems in Children
Pediatrics April 2004;113:708–713
Dimitri A. Christakis; Frederick J. Zimmerman; David L. DiGiuseppe; and
Carolyn A. McCarty,
FROM ABSTRACT
Objective. Cross-sectional research has suggested that television viewing may be
associated with decreased attention spans in children.
However, longitudinal data of early television exposure and subsequent attentional
problems have been lacking.
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that early television exposure
(at ages 1 and 3) is associated with attentional problems at age 7.
Methods. We used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a representative
longitudinal data set. Our main outcome was the hyperactivity subscale of the
Behavioral Problems Index determined on all participants at age 7. Children who
were >1.2 standard deviations above the mean were classified as having
attentional problems.
Our main predictor was hours of television watched daily at ages 1 and 3 years.
Results. Data were available for 1278 children at age 1 and 1345 children at age 3.
Ten percent of children had attentional problems at age 7.
In a logistic regression model, hours of television viewed per day at both ages 1
and 3 was associated with attentional problems at age 7 (1.09 [1.03–1.15]{9%
with a range of 3-15%} and 1.09 [1.02–1.16]{9% with a range of 2-16%}),
respectively.
Conclusions. Early television exposure is associated with attentional problems at
age 7.
Efforts to limit television viewing in early childhood may be warranted, and
additional research is needed.
2
THESE AUTHORS ALSO NOTE:
“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 4% and 12% of US
children and is the most common behavioral disorder of childhood.”
Surprisingly little is known about the cause and development of ADHD.
There is an underappreciation of the crucial role that early childhood experiences
have on the development and modulation of ADHD.
“It is widely known that the newborn brain continues to develop rapidly through the
first few years of life and that considerable plasticity exists during this period.”
The types and degrees of environmental stimulation affect the number and the
density of neuronal synapses. [IMPORTANT]
“The types and intensity of visual and auditory experiences that children have early
in life therefore may have profound influences on brain development.”
“In contrast to the pace with which real life unfolds and is experienced by young
children, television can portray rapidly changing images, scenery, and events.”
“It [TV] can be overstimulating yet extremely interesting.”
“This has led some to theorize that television may shorten children’s attention
spans,” and that it may lead to ADHD.
Television viewing later reduces reading and concentration.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents exercise caution in
letting their children under the age of 2 years watch television.”
[American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Public Education. Media
education. Pediatrics. 1999;104:341–343][We reviewed this article in 1999]
These authors “hypothesized that very early exposure to television during the
critical periods of synaptic development would be associated with subsequent
attentional problems.
Television viewing hours ranged between 0 and were capped at 16 hours.
RESULTS
“Children watched an average of 2.2 hours of television per day at age 1 and 3.6
hours per week at age 3.”
10% of children at ages 1 and 3 had attentional problems.
3
“Controlling for all of the previously listed covariates, television hours watched per
day at both age 1 and age 3 were associated with having attentional problems at
age 7 (1.09 [1.03–1.15]{9% with a range of 3-15%} and 1.09
[1.02–1.16]{9% with a range of 2-16%}), respectively.”
DISCUSSION
“We found that early exposure to television was associated with subsequent
attentional problems.”
“This finding was present even while controlling for a number of potential
confounding factors, including prenatal substance use and gestational age,
measures of maternal psychopathology, and socioeconomic status.”
“The magnitude of the risk associated with television viewing, expressed in our
analysis in terms of hours per day of television viewed, is clinically significant when
one considers the full range of hours of television viewed in our sample (0–16).”
“A 1-SD increase in the number of hours of television watched at age 1 is
associated with a 28% increase in the probability of having attentional problems at
age 7.” [WOW!]
“This result is robust and stable over time—a similar effect size is obtained for the
number of hours of television watched at age 3.”
These authors “added inattention to the previously studied deleterious
consequences of excessive television viewing, including violent behavior and
obesity.”
“Limiting young children’s exposure to television as a medium during formative
years of brain development consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics’
recommendations may reduce children’s subsequent risk of developing ADHD.”
KEY POINTS FROM DAN MURPHY
1) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 4% and 12%
of US children and is the most common behavioral disorder of childhood.
2) Age 1 children watched an average of 2.2 hours of television per day.
3) The range of television viewing in this study was 0–16 hours per day.
4) Television watching by 1 and 3 year olds increased ADHD by up to 15-16%.
5) Early television exposure is associated with attentional problems at age 7.
6) Parents should minimize television viewing in early childhood.
4
7) The newborn brain develops rapidly through the first few years of life and
that significant plasticity exists during this period.
8) Environmental stimulation affects the number and the density of neuronal
synapses.
9) Visual and auditory experiences that children have early in life have profound
influences on brain development.
10) The rapid changing of images, scenery, and events, on television is different
than real life. Television is overstimulating yet extremely interesting. This damages
the wiring of the brain to the detriment of the child.
11) Television shortens children’s attention spans, reduces reading and
concentration abilities.
12) In 1999, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that children
under the age of 2 years not watch television.
13) A 1 standard deviation increase in the number of hours of television watched
at age 1 is associated with a 28% increase in attentional problems at age 7.”
14) Children television watching increases ADHD, violent behavior, and obesity.

[Eric Arthur Blair]

If you do some more research on this subject you will find lots of reports on a more recent study which claims to have dismissed these findings. If you look the age group in this newer study you will find that it DOES NOT MATCH the age level in question in the earlier study. First of all this breaks one of the main rules of peer reviewed empirical scientific method. It does not repeat the experiment in all of its variables, BY THE EXPERIMENTER'S OWN ADMISSION. Not only does this exclude comparison of the two studies, experts agree that the brain is most effected by television BEFORE the age of three (the newer study started at age 5).

The brain is well known and documented to have higher neuroplasticity before the age of 3 because the neural-network is still forming. This is the critical period of childhood development where television should be avoided. As a survival mechanism, humans have evolved to have, from birth a specific visual perceptive reflex which draws the eyes to any movement that is faster than natural speed. This evolved as a way to more quickly perceive possible predatory threats in a natural environment. The eyes have even evolved a specific receptor to perceive motion (click for info on rods).

Since modern television programming is composed of quick cuts, explosions, and other faster than natural movement every few seconds, this reflex is triggered more often than would naturally be expected. Because of this, the still plastic neural-network evolves, modifying the perceptual abilities to work within a hyperactive environment filled with "predatory threats". Once the hyperactive stimulation is removed, the world becomes boring and difficult to focus on by comparison. Not only does this effect the child's ability to interact with the outside world, it also degrades their ability to hold longer and more complicated thoughts because the existing network of associations is fractured so heavily. Excessive television viewing before the age of 3 literally fractures the perceptual tools we are all born with, making us all less able to defend ourselves from modern predatory marketing.

-E.A.B.