Television addiction explained

Television addiction is a proposed addiction model associated with maladaptive or compulsive behavior associated with watching television programming.^{[1] [2]}

Analysis

The most recent medical review on this model concluded that pathological television watching behavior may constitute a true behavioral addiction, but indicated that much more research on this topic is needed to demonstrate this.^[3] The compulsion can be extremely difficult to control in many cases. The television addiction model has parallels to other forms of behavioral addiction, such as addiction to drugs or gambling, which are also forms of compulsive behavior.

Recognition

Television addiction is not a diagnosable condition of DSM-IV.^[4]

Possible behavioral effects

• Sleeping Problems
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• Anti-social Behavior
• Weight Gain
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

See also

• Addiction
• Behavioral modernity
• Evolutionary mismatch
• Social aspects of television
• Television consumption
• Video game addiction

External links

• Article by Michael D. Pollock "How I Overcame TV Addiction, Reclaimed My Life and Gained Two Extra Months Per Year"
• Reader's Digest Article

Notes and References

1. https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/16/science/how-viewers-grow-addicted-to-television.html How Viewers Grow Addicted To Television - The New York Times
2. https://www.indjsp.org/article.asp?issn=0971-9962;year=2018;volume=34;issue=2;spage=147;epage=151;aulast=Sharma Television addiction: Implication for enhancing media literacy for healthy use of technology Manoj Kumar Sharma1, Girish N Rao2, Vivek Benegal3, K Thennarasu4 - Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry
3. Sussman S, Moran MB . Hidden addiction: Television . J Behav Addict . 2 . 3 . 125–32 . 2013 . 25083294 . 4114517 . 10.1556/jba.2.2013.008 .
4. Web site: McIlwraith. Robert. "I', addicted to television": the personality, imagination, and TV watching patterns of self-identified TV addicts. www.bnet.com. 17 September 2011.