HDTV is big, bright, and beautiful. But what effect does it have on our kids? Today on Home School Heartbeat, host Mike Farris and Jeff Myers discuss high-definition video in the home.
Mike Farris:
I’m talking with my good friend of long standing, Jeff Myers. Jeff is the author of Understanding the Times curriculum, he’s a board member of Summit Ministries, and he’s the president of a great program called Passing the Baton International. Jeff, thanks so much for being with us today.
Jeff Myers:
Happy to be with you, Mike.
Mike:
Jeff, I’d like to talk to you about High Definition television. What’s your take on the effect of High-Def TV, and what it’s doing to our kids?
Jeff:
Well, Mike, we’ve known for years that television watching of any kind is bad for kids. That doesn’t mean that there’s a real harm in the occasional sporting event that you watch or IMAX presentation or 3-D movie, but everyday viewing time is going up as the medium becomes more stimulating, and that affects the way kids’ brains operate. And here’s how: historically, if you want to get a sense of satisfaction or pleasure in your life, you go to work on something meaningful. And in the brain, this increases blood flow in the executive center of the brain, which in turn increases blood flow in the pleasure center of the brain.
Now, with highly stimulating video games or television viewing, the pleasure center of the brain gets fired up without any effort on the person’s part. So, the most common result is that kids become completely passive and uninterested in anything that requires real effort.
Mike:
Jeff, that sounds really important and it’s a daunting analysis. We’ll have more next time. I’m Mike Farris.
