Open Thread: Too Much TV and Video Games Doubles Attention Problems

July 5th, 2010 10:14 AM

In today's "I Could Have Told You That" open thread segment: 

Too much time spent watching television and playing video games can double the risk of attention problems in children and young adults, new research finds. The study is the latest of many to point out the ill effects of excessive screen time, whether at the computer or the television. Researcher Edward Swing, a graduate student at Iowa State University, compared participants who watched TV or played video games less than two hours a day -- the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics for children aged 2 and older -- to those who watched more. "Those who exceeded the AAP recommendation were about 1.6 times to 2.2 times more likely to have greater than average attention problems," he said.

Thoughts? 

Exit question: might this explain Obama's lack of attention to the oil spill and unemployment?