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You must be joking. Here's the man's stated philosophy of life:
"I think it's really tragic when people get serious about stuff. It's such an absurdity to take anything really seriously ... I make an honest attempt not to take anything seriously: I worked that attitude out about the time I was eighteen, I mean, what does it all mean when you get right down to it, what's the story here? Being alive is so weird.”
If you take Frank Zappa seriously, the joke's on you.
Honestly, have you never had that particular thought pop into your head?
I find now with parenting, that as I try and figure out what really is important to teach a child about life, that I have it even more that I did when it really was just an abstract concept.
Being alive is the weirdest thing ever, if you think about it.
As for TV, meh, I don't think a couple episodes of Caillou or whatever is the worst thing in the world. My kid would watch it, get abosorbed in something else, watch it again - now at five she never bothers because she has other things to do, and we never made a big deal about it so she doesn't feel like she's being deprived of anything.
Honestly, have you never had that particular thought pop into your head?
Actually, no, but if I did I would keep it to myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FinsterRufus
I find now with parenting, that as I try and figure out what really is important to teach a child about life, that I have it even more that I did when it really was just an abstract concept.
If you don't take parenting seriously, why are you here?
My son's doctor believes that it is actually the other way around. Kids with ADHD are like a whirlwind through your house, TV calms some of them down. So parents of kids with ADHD looking for relief allow their children to watch television to stop them from climbing the walls (or balancing on the stair railing, or taking apart the radio, or poking holes in the window screens...you get the idea).
My son couldn't sit still long enough to watch television until recently (he's nearly 6) but if it would have stopped the human tornado that was his toddler-hood (and no, not "normal" toddler behavior) you bet I would have let him watch television at least some of the time.
Right, but the point is that lots of parents aren't listening.
Maybe there is a more recent study, I don't know. But the 2004 study stands on its own merits. 2004 wasn't that long ago. Besides, its conclusions are consistent with the common-sense observations of anyone who has been paying attention.
Yes, but there's that tricky little point that correlation is not causation. Also in 2004, Barkley (a recognized expert on ADHD in children) wrote an article addressing exactly this point and critiquing misinterpretations of Christakis et al.'s study. I can't find any links to the full article ("ADHD and Television Exposure: Correlation as Cause"), but here's a starting point:
Yes, but there's that tricky little point that correlation is not causation. Also in 2004, Barkley (a recognized expert on ADHD in children) wrote an article addressing exactly this point and critiquing misinterpretations of Christakis et al.'s study. I can't find any links to the full article ("ADHD and Television Exposure: Correlation as Cause"), but here's a starting point:
Don't misconstrue what I am saying as supporting excessive television viewing in childhood, but let's be accurate.
I can't get the link to work, but I understand your point. And I'm sure there are non-television-related cases of ADD/ADHD. The correlations don't prove causation or even a relationship at all, but they confirm what might be expected for other reasons - the nature of television light, the changing images once every 2-5 seconds, the overstimulating music, the passiveness of TV viewing, etc. As the father of six and as someone who grew up in a home with the television on from morning to night, the study definitely squares with my own observations.
I can't get the link to work, but I understand your point. And I'm sure there are non-television-related cases of ADD/ADHD. The correlations don't prove causation or even a relationship at all, but they confirm what might be expected for other reasons - the nature of television light, the changing images once every 2-5 seconds, the overstimulating music, the passiveness of TV viewing, etc. As the father of six and as someone who grew up in a home with the television on from morning to night, the study definitely squares with my own observations.
Sorry for the bum link. It's in The ADHD Report (Vol 12(4)) from 2004, published by Guilford, or you can do a google scholar search and it will bring up the first page.
Actually, reading too much into what two things co-occurring means is a huge problem, especially if it tends to "confirm" what is thought to be common sense without actually testing the causal relationship. I understand what you're saying, but it doesn't change that television viewing has not been demonstrated to be a cause of ADHD (although it is associated with brain changes) and again, we are on the same page with too much television time being undesirable. I am nitpicky about etiology with respect to mental and behavioral health issues.
I have conflicting thoughts about this research. I have a son with ADHD, and as a toddler he was a whirlwind. Media was one way to keep him occupied and minimize the path of destruction while I got a few things done. As a result, I wonder whether the reverse may be true: adhd/cause-tv/effect.
Don't kick yourself--I was born in 1959, hated TV but was a voracious book reader, and I have "mad kid disease" with a vengeance, even now. No rock 'n roll was ever played in our household until I was a teenager myself b/c my mother listened to Lawrence Welk and my dad played classical music and Kingston Trio. I do blame sugar some, but looking back at some historical figures, I'm convinced that we have a patron saint in Daniel Boone, who couldn't spell his own name [sic], would not stay in school, and lit out for the territories as soon as he got old enough to get away.
I understand what you're saying, but it doesn't change that television viewing has not been demonstrated to be a cause of ADHD (although it is associated with brain changes) ....
Fair enough. What sort of study, or group of studies, would be capable of demonstrating cause in your opinion?
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