Dr. Adams
02-07-2009, 09:56 AM
"Excess exposure to television in teens has been linked to an increased risk for depression in early adulthood, particularly among young men.
Each extra daily hour of television use was associated with an 8% increase in the odds of developing depressive symptoms by young adulthood.
Although previous studies have investigated the relationship between electronic media and mental health, this research has largely been cross-sectional and has primarily focused on anxiety.
Findings from these studies have shown a link between excessive use of certain media, social anxiety, and a decline in interpersonal relationships.
Surprisingly, in contrast to their original hypothesis, the researchers found that, compared with young men, young women were less likely to develop depression given the same total media exposure.
One possible explanation for this finding, he said, is that the impact of media content that presents idealized masculinity and sex roles on the psychological development of young males has been underappreciated.
Another possible explanation is that young females have more "social reserve" than young males, which increases their resilience. So if a boy watches several hours of television a day, this may substantially displace social interaction. Girls, however, may be able to watch the same amount of television while still maintaining their social relationships.
"At this point, we have enough substantial data from studies like this linking large amounts of media exposure to major health concerns such as substance use, obesity, and aggression. So moderating the amount of media an individual consumes is certainly something physicians can and probably should suggest.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66:181-188.
Each extra daily hour of television use was associated with an 8% increase in the odds of developing depressive symptoms by young adulthood.
Although previous studies have investigated the relationship between electronic media and mental health, this research has largely been cross-sectional and has primarily focused on anxiety.
Findings from these studies have shown a link between excessive use of certain media, social anxiety, and a decline in interpersonal relationships.
Surprisingly, in contrast to their original hypothesis, the researchers found that, compared with young men, young women were less likely to develop depression given the same total media exposure.
One possible explanation for this finding, he said, is that the impact of media content that presents idealized masculinity and sex roles on the psychological development of young males has been underappreciated.
Another possible explanation is that young females have more "social reserve" than young males, which increases their resilience. So if a boy watches several hours of television a day, this may substantially displace social interaction. Girls, however, may be able to watch the same amount of television while still maintaining their social relationships.
"At this point, we have enough substantial data from studies like this linking large amounts of media exposure to major health concerns such as substance use, obesity, and aggression. So moderating the amount of media an individual consumes is certainly something physicians can and probably should suggest.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66:181-188.