Reasons why you should kick the TV out of your room

Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:40PM EDT

See Comments (105)

Raise your hand if you have a television in the bedroom? How about the kids' bedroom? It's not hard to put a television in every room, especially if you keep upgrading to sleeker, flatter, sharper television sets. I don't have kids, yet I have three televisions in the house, and yes, I have the obligatory flat-panel display in the bedroom because I'm a news junkie who likes to watch CNN in the morning.

It seems to me that lately, researchers are focusing on the effects of having a television set in the bedroom. In a nutshell, having a TV in your sleep sanctuary is bad, very bad, but we already knew that. I guess what we may not have known is how bad it really is, especially when it's in the kid's room. So to bring you up to speed, I've gathered the latest findings hoping to shed some light on this bad habit.

New York Times and IO9 have good articles on the subject so I'll start there. Here's what they say in a nutshell:

TV makes you dumb: In a 2005 study of six Northern California schools, 70 percent of students who had their own TV scored "significantly and consistently" lower on math, reading, and language-arts tests. Those who had computers scored higher. It's believed the TV is a distraction during homework and may interfere with sleep. Seventh graders in Montreal also had the same problem. Those who spent more time in front of the TV, had lower grades. No surprise there.

TV makes you overweight: Several studies have suggested that kids with TVs in their bedroom are likely to be overweight. In a two-year study by the The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found that kids snacked less when a device (I'm assuming BOB) was programmed to cut into the child's TV viewing time. Kids weren't inspired to exercise more, they just ate less calories a day. A French study found that boys with TVs in their bedroom were more likely to gain weight.

TV makes you a smoker: Yet, another study of 700 middle-school students between 12 and 14 years old, found that kids with TVs were twice as likely to start smoking. Of those surveyed, 42 percent who smoked had a TV in their bedroom.

TV messes up your sleeping patterns: Ok, so all the above figures have been for kids, but adults are also affected by bedroom TVs. Blog IO9, found a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey (ATUS) shows that late night TV watching can control a person's sleeping patterns. Once upon a time, the day and night cycle determined our sleeping patterns, but with modern technology, mainly that television in the room, people's sleeping patterns are getting worse. Those most vulnerable to TV-timed sleep changes are people who work in services sectors like education, health, leisure, and hospitality, and people who live in the Eastern time zone.

There you have it. A few more reasons to kick that bedroom TV out.

Related:

Sleeping Alone? Your Gadgets May Be at Fault
Is Your Geeky Lifestyle Affecting Your Health?
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Teens spending 30, 40, even 50 each week in front of screens

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Comments on Reasons why you should kick the TV out of your room

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  • 86 Posted by mopargirl72@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think that most kids have a tv in their bedroom. Is there research that gives a percentage of kids in that age range who have them. I am sure that there is, and not all of them do bad in school or smoke. My daughter is 9 and she has a TV in her bedroom, and she is on the honor roll. Just like with anything the tv has to have restrictions. She is not allowed to watch tv until her homework is done, and she can not watch tv after dinner. Coming from the New York Times...I dont buy it! Its just more of the same nonsense that they always print.

  • 87 Posted by leon_phil on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have a one room flat so of course the TV and PC are in the same room. My sleep is not affected, I am slightly under weight, not over weight, I don't watch sitcoms or other dumb mindless TV and I've always been a smoker. Where do they come up with this junk?

  • 88 Posted by josiewells2@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:41PM EDT Report Abuse

    HEY FOLKS WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK, THE RESEARCHERS WILL BE SAYING TV'S MAKE YOU SMART AND THE FOLLOWING WEEK MAD MAG. IS REQUIRED READING TO ENTER COLLEGE. LETS RESEARCH THEE RESEARCHES?????

  • 90 Posted by ttkayser@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    If having a TV in your bedroom causes you to start smoking. Then why in the 40's, 50's and 60's where there so many smokers? Back then, nobody had a TV in their bedroom. This is just another STUPID study by someone trying to make a name for themselves. What really gets me is these STUPID statements usually get the head lines. Besides having a TV in their room, they also have a bed and a dresser. Maybe the bed and dresser got together and forced the kids to start smoking. We have become a nation of people looking for someone to say, "It's not your fault so and so made you the way you are." Why? Because it's so much easier to blame somebody else for a faults. That is what this study basically does. Thank you and good night.

  • 91 Posted by sis_sis@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    What a bunch of bull, having a tv in your childs room will turn them into smokers. Come on now, I had a tv in my room growing up and I am fit and do not smoke. My grades were not great but that is because I lacked ambition to do what I was capable of not because I had a tv in my room. Next they will say frosted flakes make you dumb if you eat them on the couch instead of a kitchen table. Who comes up with this stuff really?????

  • 92 Posted by heatherahill@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    i think waching tv dose not inprove the chances of kids of smoking that is stupid. it the parents that smoke that make chiden chance of smoking double.

  • 93 Posted by seventhsight on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    Such a bunch of bull. Kids were smoking more before tv even made its full time debut into the livingroom of homes. I can remember back in the 60's how the cool thing was to smoke. It was not because of tv. It was because of peers and adults in the home or in the family who provided role models. Look at the comment"42 percent of kids who smoke had tv in their bedroom" that means 58 percent of kids who smoke do not have tv in their bedroom. Don't fall for all the research you happen to read it is not all correct.

  • 94 Posted by saca7975@sbcglobal.net on Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    Well put #30. It is true that there are many contributing factors to the stupidity of children in schools today. I feel that everyone in this country needs to stop blaming everything else and start looking inside. Have some self control, take care of the children you chose to bring into this world, create fun environments where childrens' minds can create and imagine instead of becoming blank and void. I have three children, of which all have a tv in their room, video games, computers, etc... but my children are also monitored on how much of each thing they are allowed to use. My son has difficulty in school, he is in kindergarten, he was being considered for retention until I put him on the computer on starfall.com a site my mother, who is a teacher, suggested. He learns abc's, reading, etc... He is now doing 50% better. Before this I had been doing flashcards, hands on activities, etc...and none of these were as effective as the website. He does 6 letters a day and then he is to get off the computer. My kids also would rather play outside than stay in and watch tv or play video games. But these items definatley come in very handy when children are stuck in the house during bad weather or even during the winter when it is too cold and no one wants to be outside. My eldest is the one who enjoys tv the most and she is very highly intelligent. She has straight A's, reads books above her grade level and constantly earns awards for academic achievement. My son who would rather be outside playing than watch a television does not do as well in school at the moment. All my argument is, is stop blaming television, music, video games, computers, etc... for the failure of parents intrests in their childrens' lives. It is difficult being a parent in this world and everyone wants a quick fix or to blame the world for the lack of interest and time spent with our children. Many a children are left alone after school which is why the rate of pregnancy, sex among teens, smoking, drinking, drugs, delinquents, etc... has risen. Parents in this world each have to work a job in order to support the children they have. What we really should be focusing on is the astronomical cost of food, clothing, houses, cars, shoes, gas, etc... that causes families to spend less and less time with each other because they have to earn money. Mothers should be able to have the choice of whether or not to stay at home. In this day and time that is no longer a choice for most. They are left with work or don't eat. So instead of focusing so much on what "things" cause this lack of knowledge and addictions. Scientists should start focusing on how to bring the cost of living down so that moms have the choice to be at home with their children and most moms that I have met, myself included, would rather be with their children.

  • 95 Posted by lindseyb9@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    that is so stupid! i have a tv in my room since i was 6, and i am not over weight, and i do very well in school. and i do not smoke.

  • 96 Posted by retinchet2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    This story was written by a moron. Where in the heck did they get this info from?!?!!?

  • 97 Posted by purplereign12010 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    I would like to respond to the person who, early on stated that possibly lower income families had televisions in all bedrooms. Are you kidding me? I am one of those lower income families, and I will tell you that our family has ONE computer in the entire house and two televisions, one in the living room and one in the den. Now, on the other hand, my neighbors who make scads of $$$ per year have seven, yes seven, televisions in their house. Also, each of the family members has a computer, including their just barely four year old daughter. Go figure.....

  • 98 Posted by floredamary@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    m_leinoff, i was right there with you until u came 2 your own absurd conclusion. Unless, giving u the benefit of the doubt, u surely deserve, u were being deliberately ironic in order 2 make your point?

  • 99 Posted by reconning@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't believe TV makes you DUMBER. There's a lot of good programs out there that have a lot of information. I found out something about the Spanish American war that they didn't teach in school. History was my favorite subject. Discovery channels, History, NGO, Military Ch. all are educational in many ways. But even the regualr channels teach somethings. Yes certain shows and too much of it especially if it's on when children are doing homework will lower there learning. It's up to the parents to set the standards and be good parents for all reasons i.e. poor learning, overweight etc.

  • 100 Posted by lynda.palmer on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    My stepdaughter put a tv in her childs room he watchrd tv and played video games all day and half the night. He is overweight and bordering on anti social. Just because she found the tv a really good babysitter.

  • 101 Posted by mutefryman on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    Correlation does not imply causation. The conclusions made in this article are extremely questionable.

  • 102 Posted by alexgolubchik on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is so bogus. My children like to watch History and Dicsovery channels as well as tons of movies. They are not fat as they don't eat junky food. Their math scores are high because I spend time teaching them math after school. My children are not lonely. They have friends over whenever the soccer game is on!

  • 103 Posted by crackdogv on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    ok i have had a TV in my room sincei was about 10 or so... other then that i had to SAVE money and buy my first video game system (a Nintendo 64) ever since then i have saved my own money, bought my own games, and earned my way in any luxuries *its the parents responsibility* to spend time with their kids because when you were a kid...did you wanna hang out with your parents or your friends? instead of watching TV in seperate rooms why not watch a nice comedy like Monk Psych, or a reality show like Dancing with the stars or something fun, a family program that all can enjoy (if your kids are old enough, law and order or something else. but thats a higher maturity level than what most people are talking about) We all should realize that smoking fact is bogus, if you cant you shouldnt even waste your time thinking about this that was justa one sided statement meant to persuade as mere propoganda. I dont remember the last time i didnt make dean's list or honor roll. i have one of the best vocabularies of my class because when i watched TV i would learn i would pay attention to details. **********It is also not the TV its self, but the PROGRAMS THAT ARE WATCHED and the age of the children and how influential their minds are.********** i dont remember seeing this but i hope at least one of 111 other people would have mentioned this. Dont go crazy and make your 12 year old child watch blues clues...just dont let them watch desperate houswives, sex and the city or any other shows that would be a bad infuence. As for lack of sleep, commen sense...your sleepy...SLEEP end of discussion. now if there is some statistic about TV or cellphones affecting your ability to fall asleep oh well just dont watch it in whatever time frame the scientists decide it affects...read a book when did that ever hurt anyone? there are more things to life than TV but it dosent mean you cant enjoy it --- Im currently 16, work, excell in school, wrestle at my highschool, and i still find time to watch tv (alone or with family) and socialize with my friends...just balance is the key Live life up and make it a great day!

  • 104 Posted by crackdogv on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    also i forgot to mention i use the TV as a sort of remote light i turn it on to help me wake up cause the noise makes me focus in the morning when im waking up for high school, and i also use it to go to bed as a light. ***I also want to know out of the 700 middle schoolers that were questioned...what kind of family do they come from, how do their parents/guardians treat them, what kind of people do they associate themselves with?(AND WERE THEY PRESSURED TO SMOKE for the first time, WAS IT A TV PROGRAM that convinced them to try...NOT TV...BUT THE PROGRAM they chose to watch*** Yes...i am 16 and my parents forced me to read at least 30minutes a day in elementary and middle school, and i have also gained these inference from TV and THINKING about the show instead of zoning out. Make it a great day!

  • 105 Posted by crackdogv on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    ...btw why cant you get fat reading a book??? you do they same thing...you are sitting in one spot not moving much!!! what about the food being consumed today? Watch "Supersize Me" for proof that being lazy is not the sole contributer to the overweight and obesity "epidemic" that we are facing.

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