If you believe I'm too much of a hard-liner when it comes to severely restricting the time your children spend in front of the TV, you may be surprised after reading how well "the glow box" works as a distracting painkiller, according to a new study.
Italian researchers taking blood samples randomly divided 69 children (ages 7-12) into three groups. One group was allowed to watch cartoons on TV when the blood test was being conducted, while some were distracted by their mothers through tender nurturing and others were provided no distractions at all.
No surprise, pain levels among children participating in the TV group were the lowest, as rated by kids and their mothers. In fact, pain scores were three times higher among children who weren't distracted at all, and hovering around the middle among those who felt the loving touch of their mothers.
If the "power" of television is felt more strongly by a child than the caress from a loving mother, imagine how it influences your family in so many other negative ways. That's why you should severely limit the time your kids spend in front of the tube, and encourage them to read and play as much as you can, for the sake of their mental and physical health.
Archives of Disease in Childhood August 18, 2006
Yahoo News August 18, 2006
Science Daily August 17, 2006