Watching too much telly when you're young could lead you to take up smoking and gambling as an adult, a new study reveals. Researchers say that more than two hours TV a day viewing between the ages of five and 15 is a sign of addictive behaviour that can also lead to booze and cannabis problems later.
Study author Dr Helena McAnally from the University of Otago in New Zealand says that the study indicates that excessive leisure time television viewing may be a risk factor for the development of later disorders. She said: “People often talk of television viewing as an addiction; this research indicates that, for some people, television viewing may be an early expression of an addictive disorder or may lead to later substance-related and other addictive disorders."
The research, published in International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, concluded that like safe sex and safe drinking campaigns, more should be done to promote safe TV viewing. The researchers used unique, follow-up data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, known as the Dunedin Study.
They investigated how television viewing in childhood was related to the risk of having a substance use disorder or disordered gambling in adulthood. They concluded spending time watching television during childhood and adolescence was associated with a higher risk of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis disorders and disordered gambling in adulthood.
For tobacco and gambling, these associations were independent of other potential influences on these outcomes such as sex, socioeconomic status, and measures of childhood self-control. Co-author Professor Bob Hancox says excessive leisure time television viewing in childhood and adolescence has been associated with a range of poorer adult health and wellbeing outcomes.
He added: "To our knowledge this research is among the first to assess how a common, but potentially addictive behaviour, such as television viewing is related to later substance disorder and disordered gambling. Public health agencies have put great effort into advocating for safer alcohol use and safe sexual practices; similar campaigns could be used to advocate for safe screen use.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics’ previous recommendation of a daily average limit of two hours of screen time may remain a reasonable guide for leisure-time screen time in children and adolescents.”
