How Television Affects Your Brain Chemistry -- And That's Not All!

[Guest guest]

How Television Affects Your Brain Chemistry -- And That's Not All!

 

Many of you believe watching TV is a harmless, entertaining activity

worthy of your attention, but the video below will give you some

eye-opening things to consider.

 

In just under four minutes you'll learn why television is essentially

a platform for elite advertisers to peddle their wares, and how the

steady stream of images could be making your life in reality seem dull

and slow in comparison.

 

If you watch TV, you owe it to yourself to watch this video.

 

Please watch this video -- 3 minutes, 43 seconds)

 

http://www.5min.com/Video/The-truth-behind-commercial-television-9716

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Regular newsletter readers know that I am no fan of television, but I

am obviously in the minority here in the United States. The average

American watches nearly FIVE HOURS of TV a day. This is more than the

amount of time I spend in front of a TV in a month, and more than 90

percent of my TV time is spent watching health videos I need to review.

 

Imagine what you could do if you cut out TV and suddenly had five

extra hours in your day to do something productive, good for yourself

(exercise!), creative... or maybe simply to relax!

 

Beyond the time it takes up, though, is the very real impact it has on

your brain. As the video alludes, TV is one of the most powerful

brainwashing devices there is.

 

Every year between the food industry and drug companies well over $50

billion is spent on marketing messages to U.S. consumers to influence

their food and medication choices. The majority (75 percent) of

commercial network television time is paid for by the 100 largest

corporations in North America. Some of these companies even have

budgets in the billions, and not surprisingly these budgets have the

power to influence TV producers to create television that suits their

agendas.

 

And, frequently, these agendas are not aligned with your best interests.

 

If you do choose to watch TV, even the network news, you must

constantly ask yourself who is trying to " sell " you something. But be

warned, these corporations are spending large amounts of money to

seduce you, so even the most conscious person may not be immune to the

messages.

 

TV itself is not intrinsically evil, and there clearly are many great

shows out there, but the KEY is to NEVER watch the commercials. So if

you have a TiVO or only watch DVDs you will radically reduce the

media's influence over you. I have been doing this for the last 15

years, and it is one of the reasons why I have been able to get so

much done.

 

I simply do not waste time in front of the TV. As I said earlier, I

probably watch less than five hours of non-commercial TV or DVDs per

MONTH; typically an hour once a week provides enough passive

entertainment for me.

 

If Not for Yourself, Turn Off Your TV for Your Kids

 

As an adult, it's up to you to decide how much time you want to spend

in front of your TV (if any), but if you have kids I suggest you set a

good example and dramatically limit it.

 

A growing number of experts agree that allowing children under the age

of three to watch television can impair their linguistic and social

development, and also put them at risk of health problems including

attention-deficit disorder, autism, and obesity.

 

Older kids are also at risk from watching TV. Too much time in front

of the tube may:

 

* Change your child's views and food choices

* Make your kids fat

* Make your kids more materialistic

* Cause your children to go into more debt as adults

* Cause your children to be more aggressive

* Lead to smoking

* Increase your child's risk of becoming seriously injured

 

The good news is that one study found a great majority of parents --

72 percent -- are worried about their kids' exposure to the media.

 

However, only 23 percent actually took the step of restricting their

kids' TV and video game time.

 

Although giving up or limiting TV may seem like a drastic step, I

suspect that once you do it you will be thrilled by the new activities

you and your family will begin to take part in… and I doubt you will

ever look back!

 

 

Related Articles:

 

20 Activities to do With Your Kids Other Than Watch TV

 

TV Does More Damage to Your Children Than You Ever Imagined

 

Now You Can Zap Any TVs Off Instantly

 

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ects-your-brain-chemistry-and-that-s-not-all.aspx