Either women's rights or body image - Research Paper Example

74)”; some children seem to simply live with the television on, whether as entertainment or for background noise. The question that does exist is in regard to just how harmful all of this television viewing is to children and there are a few ways in which this question can be considered, all of which point to the damage that too much television can cause, and they are physically, mentally, and emotionally. Physically, it has been proven that too much television viewing is harmful to children’s eyesight, regardless of how close a child actually sits to the television screen (Comstock, pg. 38). Even though television has proven to not have lasting negative effects on the eyes, there are some implications that can cause temporary blindness or spots before the eyes, or longer lasting issues that need medical correction such as vision distortion or near or farsightedness.

Most children tend to watch television in the dark, which causes the eyes to strain, which then often causes eye fatigue. This can be easily fixed by cutting down viewing times, by not watching television as often in the dark, and by sitting a safe distance away from the screen, but over time children can develop issues with their eyesight that might need fixing with glasses or else cause problems as they get older (Comstock, pg. 42). Another physical consequence of too much television viewing is the possibility of obesity.

When children spend more time in front of the television, they are spending less time playing and getting exercise. Zimmerman et al (pg. 338) stated that “eating is a common activity in front of the television; the more that a child watches television, the more they eat, and the more they risk developing obesity”. They do not spend enough time exercising and ridding themselves of the fat that they take in while they are watching television. The fat builds up, causing obesity. When children watch television, they become more concerned with their entertainment