Neurological effects of television

I think this is interesting.  I am interested in the effects of light emitting diodes and the the light emitting  from my computer screen.  (Italics my own.)

The Neurological Effects of Television

Much of what follows is taken from research performed in the late 1960’s and
early 1970’s by advertising consultants.  Advertisers wanted to know how T.V. “works”
in order to get the most benefit for their money.  The commercials of that time were
simple, straightforward logical arguements, appealing to the intellect.  Today’s
commercials, by contrast, do nothing of the sort. From the 1970’s forward,
advertisers ditched the logical arguments and appealed, instead,to our senses
and our passions. And it worked like a charm.

Why the change in methods?   Researchers found that watching television
dramatically alters the functioning of the brain.  This alteration happens immediatly
upon watching television, without regard to content.  In an article titled:
Television: Opiate of the Masses”  commentator Wes Moore explains the process:

” First of all, when you’re watching television the higher brain regions
(like the mid-brain and the neo-cortex) are shut down, and most activity shifts
to the lower brain regions (like the limbic system).  The neurological processes
that take place in these regions cannot accurately be called ‘cognitive’.
The lower or reptile brain simply stands poised to react to the environment
using deeply embedded ‘fight or flight’ response programs.  Moreover these
lower  brain regions cannot distinguish reality from fabricated images
(a job performed by the neo-cortex),  so they react to television content as
though  it were real, releasing appropriate hormones and so on.  Studies have
proven that, in the long run, too much activity in the lower brain leads
to atrophy in the higher brain regions.

“Herbert Krugman’s research proved that watching television numbs the
left hemisphere and leaves the right hemisphere to perform all cognitive duties.
This has some harrowing implications for the effects of television on brain
development and health.  For one, the left hemisphere is the critical region
for organizing, analyzing, and judging incoming data. The right hemisphere
treats incoming data uncritically and it does not decode or process information
into its component parts.  The right hemisphere processes information in wholes,
leading to emotional rather than intelligent responses.

Levels of brain activity are measured by an electroencenograph (EEG) machine.
While watching television, the brain appears to slow to a halt, registering
low alpha wave readings on the EEG machine.  This is caused by the radiant light
produced by cathode ray technology within the television set.  Even if you’re
reading  text on a television screen the brain registers low levels of activity.
Once again,regardless of content being presented,
television essentially turns off your nervous system.”

The dramatic shift of brain activity from the Left hemisphere to the Right hemisphere
releases a surge of endorphins — an addiction-forming chemical that is structurally
identical to opium. A number of studies have shown that television viewers who
suddenly stop watching television experience the usual symptoms of opiate-withdrawal,
including increased frustration, anxiety, and even depression.
Habitual television viewing is literally a biochemical addiction.

Neurologically, one enters a semi-hypnotic state when watching television.
Researchers are unsure exactly why this is.  It probably has something to do with
the dynamics of light emitted by television. It may also have something to do with
the fact that light is the only  thing that is really there.   Jerry Mander explains:

“Television light is purposeful and directed rather than ambient.  When you are
watching television and believe you are looking at pictures, you are actually looking
at the phosphorescent glow of three hundred thousand tiny dots.  There is no picture
there. These dots seem to be lit constantly but in fact they are not.  All the dots
go off thirty times per second, creating what is called
the flicker effect of television.”

Additional research has linked television viewing with ADD, ADHD, hyperactivity,
and learning disabilities in children.  The scene on your screen changes once
every 3.5 seconds for normal programming, once every 2.5 seconds for commercials.
This constant stream of rapidly changing images literally programs your brain to expect
frequent stimulation in order to stay focused.  When that stimulation is absent,
the mind and body wander restlessly in search of more stimuli.