Another crackpot claim

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KBABZ
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20 Feb 2007, 4:56 am

Okay, so I was just watching some news on TV late at night just a few minutes ago, and it was about toddlers watching too much television, and one person said for them to stop watching it completely. Lists of reasons why:

-Obesity, but we've heard that one before
-Cancer. A strange prospect, but it MAY have a basis.
-Various others

But the most shocking and surprising one was, you guessed it, AUTISM!?!

How the hell can watching too much TV cause Autism of all things? Is there any proof?! I'm really getting pissed off at how ignorant the media is getting now. Did they ever think to even CONSIDER the fact that those with Autism just like to watch TV? Freaking hell, I'm now in a bad mood.[/rant]

Oh, and the voice-over had a British accent, so most likely it was for BBC. If someone could provide a link, that'd be awesome.

Hm, Awesome for Autism. Heh, humour...

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Flagg
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20 Feb 2007, 4:58 am

do not rage
for all is lost
when the mind
is ruled
by madness

(Translation: Calm down before you do something stupid.)

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KBABZ
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20 Feb 2007, 5:00 am

I know, I know, just venting is all... I'm okay now.

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TruenoBlues
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20 Feb 2007, 5:08 am

Hey ranting works. Plus it's perfectly healthy to let it out rather than let it boil over.

Inventor
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20 Feb 2007, 8:33 am

Ranting is nurd Rap, My CD is coming soon. So was it the tube, or the content, commercials give me convultions.

Getting closer, my Trinitron 21" is within arm's reach, no matter where I go I keep winding up at Wikipedia, or WP, is there someone I could sue, or a pill?

I worry about you, you let the media play with your brain. Did you see the NEWS, the Leader has a secret plan to win the war, it is so secret he does not even know it. Then you read the disclaimer, using, watching, viewing, our product line is known to cause confusion, madness, genitic alteration, the growth of scales and/or feathers, now back to this evenings entertainment, which is for entertainment purposes only and can not be believed, trusted, relied on, or repeted, without express permission of our lawyer, and all claims must be filed before the program ends.

Use Licklust foot wash, and everyone will want to lick your feet.

Nigel Thowhp here, this just in, Road Rage has spread from the Colonies, Scotland Yard says it happens on or about roads. The PM is forming a study group, their report is due in 2009. Harry Potter was arrested and jailed for carrying a wooden stick over a foot long, it was pencil thin, and he could have poked someone's eye out. Mothers against sticks is holding a rally demanding the death sentence, Harry has agreed, sentence has been passed, and the trial will be next week. Back to you, Trevor! Do I have to say that, it sounds so American, Oh, it is still on...

alex
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20 Feb 2007, 8:43 am

get a treadmill and put it near your tv so you can exercise while watching....

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Litguy
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20 Feb 2007, 11:01 am

I think that you're right on target. Of course there is a high correlation between television watching and autism because people with autism like to watch television.

They like to use computers too. Funny that the guy didn't say that computers cause autism. I guess computers aren't as easy a target as the old "boob tube."

Cernunnos
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20 Feb 2007, 12:12 pm

KBABZ wrote:

Oh, and the voice-over had a British accent, so most likely it was for BBC. If someone could provide a link, that'd be awesome.

Hi KBABZ, here's a link to the story on the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6375235.stm

Cheers

The idea doesn't hold up in my case, because I'm an old enough git to date back to when TV watching was limited by the fact that it was broadcast a fraction of the time it is now. Children's TV was greatly limited as well.

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Prof_Pretorius
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20 Feb 2007, 1:57 pm

As am I. When I was a child, we actually played with toys. Television was regulated by my parents, who never turned it on until the evening news programme. I was expected to do my homework, and (here's where I was damaged ! !) AMUSE MESELF ! !! If I got bored with what was at hand, it was up to me to fashion something more interesting. The tube has far too much influence on kids these days. It certainly contributes to their lack of imagination, and lower IQ's. How it causes Autism is beyond me.

Perhaps the radiation damages that Autism gene they've found ??

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Starbuline
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20 Feb 2007, 3:06 pm

alex wrote:

get a treadmill and put it near your tv so you can exercise while watching....

That would actually work.

KBABZ
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20 Feb 2007, 3:09 pm

Thanks a lot Cerunnos, I'll read it when I get the time.

Inventor, I apologize, I was just in the moment. I'm all better now, albeit I still totally disagree with the TV-Autism thing. It's just a more passive disagreement, okay?

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hyperbolic
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20 Feb 2007, 3:12 pm

Someone tell me how watching TV causes physical changes in the structure of the brain and increased inflammation of the brain? Genes, most likely, environmental toxins, maybe, but TV? I don't think so.

KBABZ
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20 Feb 2007, 10:06 pm

xon wrote:

My thoughts exactly! Now, to read that article.

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KBABZ
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20 Feb 2007, 10:26 pm

A summary of the article:

Quote:

John Bangs of the National Union of Teachers says children can arrive in school "tired and exhausted" from watching too much television.

This follows a report by psychologist Dr Aric Sigman listing 15 health problems that previous studies have attributed to excessive TV viewing.

The report warns that television could contribute to childhood obesity, eyesight problems and hormonal changes.

Dr Sigman warns that access to television should be limited - and that toddlers should not watch any at all.

Among the problems cited by the report are obesity, sleep disruption, diabetes and the triggering of autism.

The report also makes a connection between television watching and changes in the hormone melatonin, which is linked to the immune system and the onset of puberty.

Researchers have claimed that excessive television viewing can suppress melatonin and induce puberty at an earlier age.

===============

But sociologist Professor Frank Furedi casts doubt on the claims - and says children's television viewing was in decline, as they shifted towards computer games and the internet.

"It seems that every week we get another report that tells us about another threat to our children," he said.

"We seem to have lost the capacity to simply say that it's not a good idea for children to watch too much TV - I think that every parent knows that children should be out playing in the open air.

"But instead of saying that, we have to invent all these negative factors about obesity and autism," Professor Furedi said.

I do like what it said at the beginning, as it shows that it's just something thrown in to make people worry themselves. You're reading a post written by the guy who can fit 92 hours of gaming on a school week.

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RTSgamerFTW
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20 Feb 2007, 10:26 pm

KBABZ wrote:

But the most shocking and surprising one was, you guessed it, AUTISM!?!

How the hell can watching too much TV cause Autism of all things? Is there any proof?! I'm really getting pissed off at how ignorant the media is getting now. Did they ever think to even CONSIDER the fact that those with Autism just like to watch TV? Freaking hell, I'm now in a bad mood.[/rant]

Join my army and together we can conquer the ignorant human race.

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Space
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21 Feb 2007, 2:21 am

TV causing autism is just a weird theory that someone thought up of as a way to explain the steady increase in cases of Autism since the 70s. This is one of the only parallels they can think of that has increased along with the instances of autism, so some people think there may be a connection. Experts say if there is any actual real increase in autism since this time is it very minimal, and most of the statistical increases are due to wider parameters of the definition of autism, so more kids are being diagnosed.

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