television and autism

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what are peoples opinions n television, and does anyone think there could be any sort of link between increased consumption of televisual entertainment as a child and the prevalence of autism?

i happened across this article which suggests some sort of statistical correlation between hours of television watched by infants under three years old and the prevalence of autism. to be honest i am not sure what to make of it at all, however i don't recall ever seeing any mention of this idea on the site here, and thought i would post a link for anyone who might be interested in reading it or passing comment.

here is the article in question. http://www.slate.com/id/2151538/

discuss...

we are all tv addicts

haha, actually i don't own a television, so therefore i watch practically no television whatsoever, which has been the case for at least the last 2 years or so. i much prefer it this way, and on occasion when i do have to watch a tv for any period of time, while visiting friends or suchlike, i actually find the experience quite disturbing.

although i do get your point, it has become the drug of choice for most people these days...

I don't understand your point. I don't see how television could change a person's neurology. Television is just an audiovisual medium. There's nothing inherently harmful about it. I don't watch much television because the target demographic is usually idiot NTs. I do download and watch TV but I choose what I watch. The Wire, Lost, House, CSI, Veronica Mars, Entourage and so on.

Unless you can explain some way television might cause autism, then this is simply a statistical coincidence like all the other ridiculous "causes". Mercury, vaccines, Lyme's disease, UFOs, global warming etc.

Interesting, but it fails to explain why relatives (including parents) of people with autism/Asperger's often show similar traits.

I never watch tv anymore and haven't for years. Only thing I loved on tv was London's Burning.
Glad they are slowly all coming out on dvd now.

I just watch movies online or ones I buy.

I used to watch tv when i was a kid i never left my house only to go to school and that was about it my favorite tv show at the time was called fun house it was shown on itv and i had cable in my room too.

Not sure about the influence television might have on toddlers,but it did have some effect on
me when I was about about 9 or 10.I watched a lot of serious programmes and I think in some ways it gave me a 'grown-up' approach when I should still have been out playing with friends and enjoying childhood.Even as adults,tv can give a false view of reality.Ironically,some of what are called 'reality' programmes are probably the most contrived and misleading.
Having said that,there are still a great deal of entertaining and informative programmes
and overall I don't think tv can adversely affect most people,only those who may be
vulnerable for other reasons in the first place.

Well, I don't know if I would even be watching TV today if I didn't back then. I probably WOULDN'T! The first exposure to sesame street was a school play where, in part, we had to sing song "Sonny day. Everythings A-OK...". I don't know if I EVER watched that program. I doubt I ever would have past 3. When I got up at like 4-6am, there would be woodworking, painting, nutrition, and exercise programs. THOSE I would watch. MOST were put on by colleges.

I used to watch TV all the time as a kid because there wasn't much else to do in the house. Now there is the Internet and video games to compete. So I rarely watch anymore unless its one of my favorite shows.

I hardly watch TV anymore. Most shows don't interest me. But between January and May, I am hooked on 24, and between November and May, I am hooked on Suns games.

I hated watching TV when I was a toddler; I have Asperger's anyway. So I doubt TV is the cause.

I never had cable growing up. TV was just not important in our family. I rarely watch it as an adult.

I didn't watch TV when I was real little. I only watched my two Disney Sing Along Songs and I watched Winnie the Pooh when I was three. I slowly got interested in TV when my mother bought videos for me to watch and would play them when I be in the room. Then i was eventually introduced to PBS when I was about 5 and Disney. I didn't watch much TV except for videos I had. I didn't start watching Nick till I was nine. When I was 8 I watched other channels, PBS, and regular channels. I did other things like playing with my toys, riding my bike, playing outside and playing video games.

Then I watched TV all the time in my teens, I started in my preteens. I would play and have the TV on at the same time.

ridiculous. If anything, it's a learning tool.

what's next? cereal causes autism?

Some autistic kids can't watch television or choose not to? So how are they still autistic? Some bury their heads in books, but are diagnosed autistic? Autism has been around for a long time, before tv-so how is this explained?

Epidemic? No, we have expanded the spectrum to include high functioning autism kids. The attention and focus is on aspergers (new) and pdd-nos (new). Of course there is going to be more identified kids with autism. Schools never registered, now theydo. It wasn't even a label in school until the late 90's.

I think cell phones and other waves of energy could somehow interfere with neurological functioning We live in a world filled with electro magnetic waves Maybe this causes some misfiring in some people-not alwyas a bad thing, just happens.

I think there are quality shows to watch. But, there is quite a bit of garbage too. You have to moniter and view intelligently.

The movie theater is my favorite place to be. My son, too. I suppose this might cause autism too?

I don't care what "causes" autism. It is what it is and my son does not have a sickness to be cured.

equinn