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Does television rot your brain? Negative effects of television on thought processing

Look closely into the eyes of anyone ‘glued to the TV’ and you may see zombie eyes or a spaced expression. Television is made to attract attention and keep it there. Everyone knows that watching television is relaxing. It shuts off the rest of our crazy world and allows us to retreat to another place. But did you know that your brain waves really get altered when you watch TV?

Your brain actually goes into an alpha wave state, a relaxed state in which you become less alert and more passive. This state is somewhat comparable to hypnosis, and it doesn’t end when you turn off the tube.

Most likely the culprit is the cathode ray tubes in the TV monitor that produce a flicker that the conscious mind does not detect.

According to a American scientist survey, “participants commonly reflect that television has somehow absorbed or sucked their energy, leaving them exhausted. They say they have more difficulty concentrating after watching than before.”

In the 1980s, researchers in Australia discovered that the left brain “kind of went to sleep” once the television was turned on, as the right brain was busy storing information in the memory bank. As the right side of the brain is dutifully absorbing all the images, your left brain, which is responsible for critical analysis, has fallen asleep in a stupor. This makes it difficult to analyze what you see on television.

These studies have profound implications for the viewing of news and other forms of educational television. At best, what you learn on television is like learning in your sleep. That can be of some benefit to commercial producers who want to sell you something. Have you ever seen a commercial for a delicious meal at your favorite restaurant and suddenly felt very hungry?

Careful research concluded that for topics that require thought and analysis, television is virtually useless. Reading newspapers for world events is more effective than watching them on a television screen.

Does television rot your brain? It’s up to you. If watching television really makes you more passive and therefore susceptible to “programming,” a good idea is to limit the amount of time you spend watching television.

Swap your TV time for a beneficial activity like: reading something uplifting and inspiring, getting some exercise, listening to your favorite music, or meditating. You will feel better and your brain will thank you!

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