Science Snippet: How Long Is Too Long in Front of a TV?

Family watching television in 1958. Public domain.

Researchers followed 3,247 (age 18-30) adults for 25 years, during which TV watching and physical activity levels were monitored. At the end of the 25 years participants were tested for working memory ability, mental processing speed, and the ability to plan and carry out tasks. Those who watched TV more than three hours a day scored poorly on these tests compared to those who watched little TV, and if chronic TV watchers also failed to exercise (at least 2½ hours a week), they scored poorest of all. The research team is now trying to determine the effects of long hours at the computer or playing video games on brain function, and the role of exercise in these situations. (Hoag et al, 1916, J. of the American Medical Association, Psychiatry, vol. 73, #13; Mind, Mood, & Memory, 2016, Mass. General Hospital publication, vol. 12, April issue)