TV Addiction: as Serious as Drug Addiction

Over-attachment to anything is a serious problem. People are addicted to different things – drugs, cigarette, alcohol, cartoons, and computer games are just a few things that people fall addicted to.

No one really thought seriously about TV addiction until recently, when a research found the characteristic behavior of persons addicted to drugs and to TV is the same. That is, persons addicted to TV shows the same behavioral patterns like someone who is addicted to drugs.

Definition of addiction: inability to overcome the dependence on anything, in spite of serious efforts from one's part is an addiction. Serious withdrawal symptoms are another characteristic of addiction.

For example – someone who is addicted to drugs know he/she must break away from drugs, tries in that direction, but is unable to free oneself from the influence of drugs.

Different studies conducted by universities from different parts of the world suggest the strong parallels between TV addiction and drug addiction.

Researchers studied the brain waves of people, who were serious about withdrawing from TV.

The persons experience maximum pleasure while preparing for watching TV – he/she feels happy while taking the remote control and while switching on the TV. Once the TV program is over, he or she returns to the previous state of tension and mental stress. He/she wants to reach before TV to once again feel peaceful.

This experience has strong parallels to that of drug addiction, where drug addicts feel disturbed when the drug stops working in their body and they inject more drugs into their blood.

This is not true for all TV viewers. People who watch TV for more than four hours a day exhibit these behavior patterns and one tenth of total TV viewers are haplessly addicted to TV.

The Serious Problems Associated with TV Addiction

• Anxiety
• Lethargy
• Prefers solitude
• Turns away from social situations
• Difficulty getting along with others
• Risk of obesity

TV Addiction in Children

Children below 12 years of age are especially vulnerable to the dangers of TV addiction. They can forget everything about their studies and spend so much time before TV.

When parents try to minimize time spent before time, the children protest and in an unhealthy way. Self harm and destruction are common.

Studies have also found that children enslaved to TV mature early and feel helpless before difficulties.

Some Things You Can Do to Prevent TV Addiction

@ – Spend time engaging in physical activities, sports, hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering, swimming, tree climbing, etc according to one's physical capacity.

@ – Read books including novels, short stories, poetry, science fiction stories, science magazines, etc.

@ – Engage in indoor games like chess, caroms, scrabble, board games, etc.

@ – Be active at a social service club (so far the best antidote for all stress related problems).

All the above activities are helpful in overcoming addiction to TV. While you feel energy sapped, lethargic and tensed after prolonged TV viewing, these activities make you feel refreshed.