By happier.com expert Todd Kashdan, Ph.D.

Scientists have it in for television. On the surface, television seems to be a big, bad creature that corrupts youth. Promising athletes are transformed into immobile, morbidly obese balls of flesh. Courtesy of Showtime, kind, compassionate children become violent, sex-crazed lunatics. If your kid is typical, television plays a big part in their life, so pay attention.

According to new study in the October 2009 issue of Child Development, television is destroying our families. Here is the press release:

A new study looks for the first time at the effect of background TV on interactions between parents and young children. Using an experimental design, researchers found that when a TV was on, both the quantity and quality of interactions between parents and children dropped. This study challenges the common assumption that background TV doesn’t affect very young children if they don’t look at the screen.

Gulp! Keep your television and you are killing your family, one conversation at a time. This study, just like similar studies, received a ton of media attention. The consensus is that one of the easiest ways to improve the quality of our life, our children, and our family, is to turn off the TV.

But let’s get into the details. Because if there is one thing I learned about the media and research, it’s that the details make all the difference and they are often the first to go. In this particular study, scientists observed 50 kids between the ages of 1-3 and their parents for one hour. For half of the one-hour session, parents and children were in a playroom without TV; for the other 30 minutes, parents chose a program to watch. Now let’s go back to the conclusion. Watching TV interferes with the quantity and quality of conversations between parents and children. No $#@! I have some titles for other studies:

“Books are bad for kids- Tell them to stop reading, now!”
- after all, if kids have a book open and they are immersed in the story, this will make it hard to talk to their parents and friends.

“The neglected, untreated cause of erectile dysfunction- Iphones!”
- Even when naked on top of another adult, checking your email and reading the latest news on your iphone is going to harm your sexual performance. Go ahead, see for yourself.

Personally, I don’t mind if researchers want to study whether television is harmful. What I suggest is that they ask the right questions. Instead of fighting the content of what people do, scientists should focus on the function. If someone watches television to recharge their batteries after intense socializing (because perhaps they are highly sensitive) and it works, then I say let them keep their strategy. If watching television helps an active, social child unwind at the end of the day and transition into their nighttime routine of brushing teeth, getting into their pajamas, and going to sleep, so be it. Sounds like a perfect strategy to regulate their mood. The reasons that people watch television can range from the helpful (learning about astronomy, recharging their energy supply) to the unhelpful (procrastinating from studying for an exam, avoiding other people because socializing is anxiety provoking).

Let’s move beyond the silly argument of how much television people should watch and focus on the motives behind the movements. If you are a parent, the amount of hours your children watch television should not be yet another area for you to stress about. There are enough important, stressful areas that warrant your attention. Let this be your mantra- focus on function, not content.

Science should speak for itself but if the questions are silly then the data and the conclusions are going to be silly. In the absence of good research, nobody should be turning to scientists for opinions about how to have fun. Once scientists move outside their area of expertise, they are just as stupid as anyone else. Myself included.

Dr. Todd B. Kashdan is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at George Mason University. He is the author of Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life. For more about his books and research, go to www.toddkashdan.com

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