Busting Myths: The Truth about Whether TV is Bad For You
There are various ways in which TV is deemed to be bad for you: it can give you bad eye sight, “rot your brain” and can make you obese. Some of these are truer than others, and if any do happen it’s not a direct cause of physically watching television. It’s true that if you watch TV in the wrong ways then it can give you a few health issues, but these can be avoided.
“TV makes people obese”
Scientists in America have found a correlation between the amount of television watched and numbers of obese people. This doesn’t mean that TV is a direct cause, as at the end of the day, it is up to the individual what they chose to eat, but it can contribute. For every hour you sit and watch television, that is an hour gone where you could have been more active. However, it also depends what people watch.
Research from Cornell University found that if people watched more cookery programmes they were likely to consume more. So correlatives include type of programme, quantity of watching, and also what you do with your TV. Televisions aren’t simply used for viewing programmes anymore but can play music, be used to make downloads, and used with consoles to play games. The Wii and Xbox Kinect both involve being on your feet and actively moving, so that a sensor picks up your movements. Games that involve movement won’t be as detrimental to people’s health or weight.
“TV gives you bad eyesight”
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that the screens cause harm to your eyes if you watch a television correctly. The myth that TV can damage your eyes has existed since the 1930s when televisions became a mainstream item that people could purchase for their homes. General Electronics made a mistake when manufacturing a batch of Televisions, allowing excess X-rays to escape out of the bottom of the TV. Children who sat on the floor, or near to the televisions did end up with impaired sight. Televisions have come a huge way since the 1930s and all types of flat screen TV are deemed safe. The only time you may cause strain your eyes, and also your back and neck, is if you are sitting too close to a TV and are too low in comparison to the screen.
Because of the arrangement of eye muscles, humans are most comfortable looking straight ahead or even slightly downwards. Looking up for long periods or to the side can strain the muscles. When installing a new television in a room, it is important to think about comfort and safety. Ideally, you should position a TV so that you are looking straight across to it. If you think about it, when you go to a cinema, the seats are raised so that you’re never looking up to the screen, but you still feel comfortable. If you have a very squishy sofa that you sink down into, consider replacing it or you will end up with eye and neck strain.
The advantage of TV brackets is that they are adjustable and adaptable to your furniture and viewing position. You can pull it downwards and tilt the screen for sat down viewing, but if you have a console and end up on your feet playing “Just Dance” or “Wii Fit”, you can still make sure you’re viewing the screen safely by adjusting it according to viewing height, distance and position.