Daytime television and the human brain.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:55 am

"New research suggests that elderly women who watch daytime soap operas and talk shows are more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment than women who abstain from such fare.

"Researchers stress that it's not clear if watching these TV shows leads to weaker brainpower, or vice-versa."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20060320/hl ... gingbrains

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:12 am

I only have to catch a couple minutes of those shows before I can feel the IQ points dropping away like sweat in a sauna. I have the same reaction to supermarket tabloids.
I'm glad someone did this study.

There's a great book called Aging with Grace by David Snowdon, which summarizes the results of an ongoing study of nuns of The School Sisters of Notre Dame. They make excellent study subjects as they they live similarly, with the same access to healthcare.
The differences tend to be things like choice of occupation, pursuit of ongoing learning opportunities, etc.

Fascinating book, really, if the subject interests you.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:12 am

This is wonderful! There are two nurses in our clinic who MUST take their lunch at the same time every day so they can watch their soap opera. I worry about them and will post a copy of the article for their perusal.

Susan

missy · Post by **missy** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:22 am

emmline wrote:
There's a great book called Aging with Grace by David Snowdon, which summarizes the results of an ongoing study of nuns of The School Sisters of Notre Dame. They make excellent study subjects as they they live similarly, with the same access to healthcare.
The differences tend to be things like choice of occupation, pursuit of ongoing learning opportunities, etc.

Fascinating book, really, if the subject interests you.

Are these the Notre Dame de Namur nuns? There are actually two different groups of Notre Dame nuns.
Anyway, I went to Mt. Notre Dame High School, which is next to the motherhouse (and retirement home). A lot of the older nuns still taught in the high school. In MOST cases, they should have been over at the mother house watching soap operas - they were WAY past their prime for teaching!!!!

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:26 am

missy wrote:Are these the Notre Dame de Namur nuns? There are actually two different groups of Notre Dame nuns.

I don't think so, but I'm not sure.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:20 am

Hey, wait a minute, what about men!!?? I only watch one hour of General Hosppbbllblbbbddlbblpbbdslsbpppp.
Bhhahhbbfhbab
blhalh.
ffjkdfs.
::slobber::
EEEEEGHHhh!
Blbabhlabhlabhlabhlabhlab!
Blibbidyblabba!
EEEEK!
hummanuhhummanuhhummanuh!

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:39 am

I'm waiting for the study on internet usage and dementia.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:48 am

emmline wrote:I'm waiting for the study on internet usage and dementia.

It's been done. (Language is not safe for work or small children. It's Penny Arcade, what do you want?)

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:09 am

emmline wrote:I'm waiting for the study on internet usage and dementia.

I think the Crystal People will block any serious attempt at that...
It's part of their main plan, don't you know?
It all has something to do with conversion of human brain waves into a form of extraterrestrial locomotion and @^%^&NHGG+_ {>"#:>>>: >/////////////edit.refer-to.transmit*************************
<<<<GO ABOUT YOUR INTERNET USE AS NORMAL. THERE IS NOTHING TO FEAR HERE. ALL HAS BEEN SANITISED FOR YOUR SAFETY. THE INTERNET IS GOOD FOR YOU. BILL GATES LOVES YOU. SALVATION MAY BE HAD THROUGH THE INTEL CORPORATION. COMPUTER GOOD, BOOKS BAD. MSN INTERNET EXPLORER IS NOT INVASIVE, QUITE THE OPPOSITE; IT IS GOOD FOR YOU. DALEKS ARE YOUR FRIENDS. GENERAL MOTORS BUILDS GOOD CARS. YOU CAN TRUST RICHARD NIXON. SPACE EXPLORATION IS A WASTE OF TIME. MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL MIX WELL. THERE IS NO LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS, ESPECIALLY OURS. TED DANSON AND TONY DANZA ARE GOOD ACTORS. TELEVISION WILL NOT ROTT YOUR BRAIN. SUGAR IS GOOD FOR YOUR TEETH. PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAD RAVINGS OF THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS OR THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN. VEGETABLES AND GRAINS, MOST ESPECIALLY WHOLE GRAINS, ARE VERY BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH. CHOOSE FRIED FOODS. LITE BEER IS DANGEROUS. COKE AND PEPSI ARE THE SAME THING. A SEDENTARY LIFE IS A HAPPY LIFE.
BE HAPPY AND PROFITABLE SERVANTS.
THANK YOU.
WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED THREAD.
END TRANSMISSION>>>>
#&*($^*#&%^*)(*)(*$#)*)#$
*******************message end***************************

woah....

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:11 am

It's obviously a correlational study and the authors point out that no inference can be drawn about cause and effect. I think the author of the article wants to imply that watching those programs leads to some deficit rather than that people with the deficit watch those programs more often. Notice these statements:

"One researcher who has studied the effects of television watching on children said the study suggests that, "viewing television in a way that reduces active mental engagement may lead to poorer cognitive outcomes in older people."

Frederick Zimmerman, director of the University of Washington's Child Health Institute, added that the findings are significant because the apparent effects of television watching are quite striking. He said he's also found evidence that excessive television watching hurts kids' academic and cognitive development."

Zimmerman concludes that there is an "apparant effect" in the absence of any data that suggests that there is. I would be interested in knowing if his own research is also correlational.

It makes it more interesting if we can blame TV for the impairment rather than blame impairment for watching TV or blame some other variable for both.

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:18 am

I usually watch a max of one hour tv per day but then fall asleep. I would like to feel smug and superior that the programming is not sufficient to keep my intellectual interest, but the reality is that reading also makes me fall asleep.

djm

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:27 am

djm wrote:I usually watch a max of one hour tv per day but then fall asleep. I would like to feel smug and superior that the programming is not sufficient to keep my intellectual interest, but the reality is that reading also makes me fall asleep.

djm

Reminds me of a scene from an episode of The Simpsons...

"Lisa's Rival" wrote: Lisa confronts her demons and goes over to Alison's house.

Alison: It's great of you to come over, Lisa. I really want us to be
friends.
Lisa: You're a wonderful person.
Taylor: Hi, Lisa, I'm Alison's father, Professor Taylor. I've heard
great things about you.
Lisa: Oh, really? I --
Taylor: Oh, don't be modest. I'm glad we have someone who can join us
in our anagram game.
Alison: We take proper names and rearrange the letters to form a
description of that person.
Taylor: Like, er...oh, I don't know, uh...Alec Guinness.
Alison: [thinks] Genuine class.
Taylor: Ho ho, very good. All right, Lisa, um...Jeremy Irons.
Lisa: [looks with consternation] Jeremy's...iron.
Taylor: Mm hmm, well that's...very good...for a first try. You know
what? I have a ball. [pulls one from his pocket] Perhaps you'd
like to bounce it?

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:23 am

Tyler Morris wrote:
djm wrote:I usually watch a max of one hour tv per day but then fall asleep. I would like to feel smug and superior that the programming is not sufficient to keep my intellectual interest, but the reality is that reading also makes me fall asleep.

djm
Reminds me of a scene from an episode of The Simpsons...
"Lisa's Rival" wrote: Lisa confronts her demons and goes over to Alison's house.

Alison: It's great of you to come over, Lisa. I really want us to be
friends.
Lisa: You're a wonderful person.
Taylor: Hi, Lisa, I'm Alison's father, Professor Taylor. I've heard
great things about you.
Lisa: Oh, really? I --
Taylor: Oh, don't be modest. I'm glad we have someone who can join us
in our anagram game.
Alison: We take proper names and rearrange the letters to form a
description of that person.
Taylor: Like, er...oh, I don't know, uh...Alec Guinness.
Alison: [thinks] Genuine class.
Taylor: Ho ho, very good. All right, Lisa, um...Jeremy Irons.
Lisa: [looks with consternation] Jeremy's...iron.
Taylor: Mm hmm, well that's...very good...for a first try. You know
what? I have a ball. [pulls one from his pocket] Perhaps you'd
like to bounce it?

I loved that episode. Right up there with the Canyonero advertisement.

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 12:45 pm

I don't get it ....

djm

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:10 pm

I watch HOUSE on tuesdays when it's actually showing (and not being preempted by stupid &*(%&$6 american idol), but that's about it. I do admit that I watch a lot of DVDs but hey, at least there aren't a bunch of brain-rotting COMMERCIALS. I think it's the commercials that make you stupid, myself, especially the ambulance chaser attorneys and those awful car dealership ads that scream at you.