A new study has uncovered a direct link between the time teenagers spend staring at computer, cell phone and television screens, with their inability to have meaningful relationships with parents and peers.
You’ve likely heard this all before — either you were a teenage TV zombie being told by your parents to go play outside, or you are that parent trying to keep your kid from spending mindless hours on the Internet. But as it turns out, in this battle, the wisdom of age prevails.
The study, from this month’s Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found that every hour of TV watched increases a teens likelihood of detachment from friends and family 4% and each hour of Internet increased it another 5%. So in other words, a teenager who watches 4 hours of television after school, is 20% more likely not to enjoy hanging out with their parents, siblings, or maybe even friends. This lack of human interaction is said to have a direct impact on underdeveloped communication and people skills among today’s generation.
