Parenting Teenagers: Teens & TV

According to new research from the University of Otago in new Zealand individuals who watch a lot of television as children and teens are more likely to develop antisocial behavior and end up in prison later in life.. YIKES! The results of this study were published in the journal Pediatrics. The researchers including Bob Hancox M.D. and Lindsay Robertson found that the risk of antisocial and criminal behavior increased by 30% with every hour of TV that both children and teenagers watched each night. Antisocial behavior included aggressive behavior, social isolation and antagonism.

Does this mean that you should not allow your kids and teens to watch any TV at all? Does it mean that you should get rid of all of your TVs? Absolutely not. It simply suggests that you should try to ensure that your kids have a wll-balanced diet of activities. It is not clear how TV watching is related to antisocial behavior but this study clearly found a connection.