TV makes for poorer relationships, study suggests
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The more young people watch TV, the poorer their relationships with both their friends and parents, a new study suggests.
Otago University study co-author Rose Richards said there had been some concerns among parents that their children might feel excluded if they were not watching the same TV programmes as their friends.
"However, our findings give some reassurance that it is fine to limit TV viewing. In fact, it may result in stronger relationships between young people, their friends and their parents," Dr Richards said.
The study involved 3043 New Zealand adolescents aged 14 to 15 in 2004. The teens completed a confidential questionnaire about their free-time habits, as well as an assessment of their attachment to parents and peers.
The researchers also assessed interview responses from 976 members of the Dunedin study who were 15 years old between 1987 and 1988.
Strong relationships with parents and friends were important for healthy development from teenage years into adulthood, Dr Richards said.
"With the rapid pace of evolution in screen-based technologies, ongoing research is needed to monitor the effect they are having on the social, psychological and physical well being of young people."
The findings - the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study and the Youth Lifestyle Study - were published in the March issue of the Archives of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
The studies were conducted 16 years apart and show that, although the nature of screen-based entertainment has changed, the association with family relationships appears to be the same.
Co-authors include Professor Rob McGee, Associate Professor Sheila Williams and Associate Professor Bob Hancox of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine and Dr David Welch, now at the University of Auckland.
- NZPA
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The bulk of that story seemed to be missing. Like how TV/gaming is having a negative effect and to what degree. There are no specifics or examples mentioned.
Why are we subject to such nonsensical writing. This is the same pseudo-science argument as Gore came up with on CO2 and global warming. Turns out CO2 levels increase with temperature not the other way around. There is a correlation, no cause and effect has been demonstrated.
Causation or statistical correlation?
People who have less personal skills may end up watching more TV, either because it is less stressful for them than personal interaction or because they don't have so many friends.
A truely scientific study would have to take a random sample of people and test them initially, have half watch far more TV than the others, then reperform the test. Anything else is just mathematics.
TV gives a distorted view of life, relationships, how people behave etc. It tends to pigeonhole and confuse people too if the people watching it haven't got half a brain. On the other hand, it is meant ot educate as well. I think public TV is such utter rubbish nowadays and pay TV is not much better. My viewing has moved a lot to the PC and the amazing amount you can see using broadband. I wouldnt say the content was that much better but at least you have more choice. Youtube is great for that. Facebook keeps up the social aspects to some degree!
@ Mike #1
Sorry, but when was there not any "crap" on TV? Was there a golden age of TV shows that I missed?
i think the problem is more that young people are so worried about fitting in and also being so biased to people that are different that having different taste in tv shows is just another excuse to rag on other people labels and the status quo suck
i have always been a tv addict and i have many friends that like different tv shows than me and many that like the same shows - i have made so many friends simply from shared taste in tv shows tv can be educational and family time watching a tv show - or parents sitting down to watch a show their kids like - can improve communication as it is something extra to talk about its also quality time that you might not get otherwise
The advantage of being entertained by TV is that if it gets annoying you can change channel. I only work so I can pay for sky each month. Plus when I watch TV I can multi task on my laptop with my Facebook friends from around the world non of whom I have anything in common with or actually know in person but that's why I have my TV.
Why is it that people need to carry out studies, spend years on research to state the obvious!
A lot of it has got to do with the abundance of Crap on the TV now
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Its amazing that people would bother to argue with the idea that watching lots of TV is less social. Of course sitting there steering at a box is less social than actually interacting with people. Relational skills can grow with practise. I grew up in a family of TV addicts and we didnt know what to do if the TV broke down. Its not real life. Its living a fantasy which discourages people from developing real interactional skills.