Even without the science to back it up, most people agree that watching too much TV is bad. Yet, it still doesn’t stop us from binge-watching our favorite TV shows. Filmmakers and film writers have gotten so good at keeping our attention that “just one more episode” becomes “just one more season.” Consider this a PSA reminder: watching TV in excess can lead to a host of health concerns. Here are 15 ways that watching too much TV affects your brain, your body, and your health. Perhaps it’s time to turn off the TV.
Brain Fog
Watching too much TV can do all sorts of things to your body. For example, it can put you in a fog. You stop thinking clearly, make poor choices, and forget things easily. It can be challenging to function and maintain your work and family responsibilities. Consider taking a break from the tube if you’re always caught in a fog.
Eat More
Popcorn during a movie is a given. Nothing beats curling up under the blankets, munching on a salty snack, and watching a great film. However, watching too much TV can create unhealthy eating habits. With attention fixed on the screen, viewers often stop listening to their bodies and don’t realize when they are full. Logic follows that the more snacks you eat, the more likely you will gain weight and develop possible health issues.
Trick Your Mind
Watching too much TV can make your mind play tricks on you. Ever feel delusional after spending more than three hours glued to the TV? It’s like when you first step out of a movie theater after watching Oppenheimer. It’s hard to adjust to the light outside. The more time you spend in front of the TV, the more likely your brain will play tricks on you. Did I just see Robert Oppenheimer?
Effect Your Dreams
Some TV shows are hard to stop. You get through a season, and then you are dying to figure out what happens next. You become so immersed in the world that you dream about the characters. While watching horror films will cause you to have nightmares, do you think if I watch enough episodes of Mad Men, Jon Hamm will appear in my dreams? I would be okay with that.
Disrupts Sleep Cycle
A good rule of thumb for sleep is to turn your screen off one hour before bed. This is because the light from the TV can trick your brain into thinking it is daytime and prevent your body from preparing for sleep. While many insomniacs believe watching TV will help them sleep, that solution only exacerbates the issue. Exercise is a great way to help regulate your sleep cycle. Try an evening walk.
Incite Aggression
Engrossed in the story on the screen, some TV shows can incite aggression. And nowhere is that more evident than with football. Holy Sundays can become violent when a team makes a bad play. Some football fans get so upset that they punch their TV. Steer clear of those diehard football fans unless you want to end up like the above screen.
Increase Risk of Depression
When you’re feeling blue, you are not motivated to do much. Sitting in front of the TV feels like the one easy thing to do; you can just shut off your brain. However, you risk entering into a dangerous feedback loop, which makes navigating through depression more difficult. Even if you aren’t depressed, the concocted stories can feel entirely out of reach. Call and talk to a friend if you’re feeling down.
Rewire Your Brain
Whether you realize it or not, our brains are incredibly elastic. When we perform various functions, thousands of neurons fire up, connecting different parts of the brain. The more you do something, the faster and more engrained those processes become. So, if you’re watching a lot of TV, the neural pathways for that activity will become dominant. For best brain health, keeping your mind sharp and active with new and stimulating activities is best.
Shorten Life Span
A sedentary lifestyle in front of the TV can negatively affect your health. Couch potatoes tend to lounge around and not get enough exercise. They also make poor eating choices. Logic follows that the more unhealthy a person is, the shorter their life expectancy. Once you overcome the stubbornness to get up off the couch, you’ll feel glad you did.
Reduce Critical Thinking Skills
Television is a source of easy entertainment and stimulation. However, you can get stuck in a rut if you don’t keep your mind active and learn new things. With many hours logged watching TV, you won’t be able to think as clearly as you once did. Critical thinking skills diminish when you aren’t keeping different parts of your brain engaged. Cut your TV time in half and spend the time reading a book or playing a Sudoku puzzle.
Increase Risk of Dementia
Watching too much TV can increase your risk of dementia, a degenerative disease that affects your memory. Perhaps it’s because you lose critical functioning skills. If you’ve ever taken care of someone with dementia, it’s heartbreaking when a loved one may not recognize you. So, if you don’t make the change for yourself, make it for your loved ones. Who would ever want to forget them?
Impair Social Comprehension
Like any skill, the less time you spend practicing it, the less proficient you become. If you spend more time watching TV than socializing with friends and family, you lose valuable interpersonal skills. You might find it hard to comprehend simple social cues or empathize with people. Your social abilities will suffer if you don’t use them—so instead of watching TV by yourself, consider meeting a friend for dinner.
Potential Risk With Parkinson’s Disease
Equally as scary, too much TV time may increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease—a disorder that affects your movement. Sufferers often develop a tremor, usually in their hands. The more severe the symptoms, the lower the life expectancy. We all want to live happy and healthy lives, but that can be difficult when battling such a disease. If you believe you are addicted to TV, perhaps it is time to change. Watching your grandkids take their first steps will be worth it.
Fatigue
Despite the visual and audio stimulation, watching TV can make you tired. It allows your brain and body to shut off because they don’t need as much energy for cognitive processes. Perhaps this is why you yawn when you get comfy on the couch and start watching TV. Feeling tired all the time? Maybe too much TV is the culprit. Curtail the number of hours you spend in front of the tube.
Shorten Attention Span
The audio and visual effects in movies and TV shows are truly incredible. A TV show or movie aims to capture your attention, so filmmakers create content that maintains it. The downside is that things that don’t grab your attention in the same immediate and engaging way will be harder to focus on later. Watching too much TV can make it more challenging to complete tasks that require prolonged attention.
