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October 2, 2006
This is your brain on tv
A new study out today by the Journal of Pediatrics confirms what many parents and educators have long suspected: Too much time in front of the television rots your brain. Well, kind of. Reseachers looked at middle schoolers and two aspects of watching tv and playing videogames: the amount of time and when it occurs, and the content of the programming.
Turns out that the more time kids spend watching television and playing videogames, especially during the week, the worse they do in school. Interestingly, weekend couch potatoes suffered little school decline, thus researchers say there is a clearly a displacement issue here--kids who watch a lot of tv are spending less time studying, doing homework, or reading during the school week. Second, when kids have more exposure to adult content, the greater the chance of performing poorly at school, which seems to affect boys more than girls. Read AP coverage here.
Ultimately, parents will have to bear the responsibility of just saying no to endless tv watching and videogaming. But then what? Schools can step up to the plate and provide high quality after-school and summer activities that help students have better behavior, fewer school absences, and better grades. So what's the hold up? According to NSBA's Extended Day Learning Opportunities Project, school boards recognize the dire need for these programs, but funding is the major obstacle to putting them in place. But some are moving forward despite the hurdles. Read some terrific school district success stories here collected by the EDLO folks.
Jazzed up about the potential of after-school programs for your students? Check out the seventh annual Lights On Afterschool! on Thursday, October 12, with more than 7,000 after-school programs around the country participating. Visit the Afterschool Alliance Web site to learn how your district can get involved.
Posted October 2, 2006 4:39 PM |
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