Television Killing Teens Relationships

Add as a preferred source on Google

TV and computer is the best friends of the teens. TV gives them the food for all their needs. But on one hand TV may be informative but it can also lead to a ill effects on relationship with the family and friends.

That"s the conclusion of a new study issued in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

One of the researcher say's, " The availability and attractiveness of screen time activities has provoked excitement about the opportunities afforded by these options, as well as concern about whether these displace other activities that are important for health and development. One area of interest is how screen time may affect the quality of relationships with family and friends."

Research was done on adolescents age 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.

Overall, the more time teens spent with television or on a computer, the more likely they were to report low attachment to parents (in other words, difficulty forming a relationship or emotional bond). The risk of having low attachment to parents increased 4 percent due to television and 5 percent due to computer. Conversely, teens who spend more time reading and doing homework reported a higher level of attachment to parents.

"Recommendations that children watch less television are sometimes met with the concern that being unable to discuss popular shows or characters may inhibit peer relationships. The findings herein do not suggest that less television viewing is detrimental to adolescent friendships." Concludes the researcher.