Parents have probably heard this many times: too much TV or video games is bad for your child's health. A recent study shows that there is a link between watching television or playing video games and mental health specifically among boys.
Boys Who Watch TV Two Hours A Day Are At A Higher Risk Of Hyperactivity And Inattention Problems
Researchers from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute found that boys who watch television two hours a day, or 14 hours weekly, are at a 1.7 times greater risk of hyperactivity and inattention problems compared to those who do not, Brisbane Times said. Also, boys who watch an average of two hours a day are at a 2.6 time higher risk of developing "conduct and emotional problems".
The study asked parents of about 870 eight or nine year old children about their electronic media use and any behavioural issues the kids may have. This is an important age group to study because it was the age of the age when children's use of media started to rise, study author Dr Lisa Mundy said.
Parents Should Realize The Risks Of Too Much Exposure To Electronic Media
Dr Mundy also said that it's an age when children are highly sensitive due to huge biological, psychological and emotional development, which happens at this phase of life. She added that it is important for parents to realize the risks of too much exposure to TV and video games, especially in such an impressionable age group, Daily Times reported.
What's notable is that girls of the same age were not affected the same way by screen time as boys. This could be because of the different ways in which boys and girls use electronic media. "It may be that the electronic media causes emotional and behavioural problems - or it may be that children with these problems spend more time using electronic media," Dr Mundy suggested.
