Recently, an economist from Cornell University named Michael Waldman has discovered a “link” between watching too much TV at an early age and autism. Read a news report regarding his ideas here.
Many parents have reacted negatively to this, as is evidenced in Barbara Fischkin’s article, which you can read here.
In another article, however, the actual results of research are conveyed.
What is your view? Do you think watching TV influences a child’s diagnosis of autism?
We think that there is not enough evidence to show a causal relationship between TV and autism. While research would suggest that the two coincide, it does not necessarily mean that all children who watch a lot of TV at a young age will have autism, nor that all children diagnosed with autism have watched a lot of TV. We agreed with the possibility that the third article presented when it stated, “that watching a lot of television before the age of three can trigger the development of autism in children who are already at risk for the disorder.”
We also think that Waldman’s cure of his child is bogus.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I do not believe that Waldeman 'cured' his son simply by turning off the TV. I do not think watching TV causes Autism. Maybe there is something that triggers it, but I find that a stretch. There may be something to say about the programming we are watching and the influence it has on us behaviorally but that is probably another topic all together.
ReplyDeletePersonally I have watched many hours of TV and so have my siblings and my children. None of us have Autism.
I really think that the claim that TV has something to do with the onset of autism is ridiculous. There are way too many other variables surrounding this issue to convince me. Maybe it's the lack of attention or parent to child interaction that a child misses out on while watching TV. It's also possible that with cable TV came more information and news about autism, broadening our knowledge base or diagnosis of ASD. Both of these theories, however weak or unfounded could be confounding variables within this study. I do think it is important to continue searching for the cause of autism. One in three hundred children is a huge, rapidly growing number and despite my disagreement with this theory it is important to explore the options.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the above articles I think that the correlation between watching too much television and autism is non-existent. I trust the words of the doctors over the words of the economist. I think that if Waldman wants to believe his child's autism was cured when the television turned off then he has the right to his own beliefs. I do not agree with him in any way, but if that works for him then it does not matter. I liked how the last article cleared up what the study actually found: that the rate of children being diagnosed with autism increased the same year as cable television coming out, and that the rate of autism is higher in areas that rain more, BUT does not have a direct correlation of cause and effect. Watching television does not cause autism, and by turning off the television it does not cure autism. I think it was an interesting hypothesis, but there are no real statistics to back it up.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense that people might think that autism and TVs are related, but honestly, think about it: children with autism want stimulation, repetitious things, lights, and sound. A TV is a sensory gold mine, especially if you get the black and white fuzz on the screen! I think it is almost as logical as saying removing a microwave which would have the added stimulus of smell for a child is the cause of autism.
ReplyDeleteI believe Waldman is on to something a little different than the cure of autism though, I think all families, especially children with altruism, would benefit in just getting rid of the TV. I think much can be said with human contact opposed to a parasocial one.
Honestly, I’m not sold on the idea that television causes Autism. If this were the case we would be seeing outrageous amounts of Autism Spectrum Disorder throughout the entire world. Yes, ASD has become more prevalent than in recent years, but I still think that there would be more cases if television was the cause of ASD.
ReplyDeleteAs for Professor Waldman, I don’t think that he cured his son of ASD. When I first read the article I was thinking to myself maybe his son was showing ASD tendencies, because he was not getting enough human contact from his parents. Who knows, but it just doesn’t seem realistic that Waldman cured his son from ASD in such a small period of time.
Fact: I watched crazy amounts of television when I was young and still to this day (I probably shouldn’t admit that) and I don’t have autism. Yes I am only one person, but I am just saying…I do not think that there is a link between TV and autism. I loved what Autumn said about how “TV is a sensory gold mind”. It is true that people with autism want stimulation and repetition and lights and sound. I think the thing that made me mad was when once Waldman had another child he would just turn on the TV for his son. That to me is stupid. How bout you pay attention to your kid! I know that it has to be tough juggling two kids but you need to try your best to give each child the attention they deserve. I personally feel a lot of children that are diagnosed with autism didn’t and sometimes still don’t get the attention that they need. Yes, watching hours and hours of TV probably isn’t good for anyone. But I don’t think there is sufficient evidence that can convince me that there is a link between TV and autism. Until there are better facts out on the table I am not buying it.
ReplyDeleteKala, I love you haha. Yes TV is not good for people. There have been some serious correlations made there--however, seriously trying to make correlations between autism and TV sounds pretty insane to me. Like Autumn said, children with autism really cannot keep their eyes off of things that blink and have colors and moving pictures: it is naturally appealing to them. A cause-and-effect relationship should not even begin to be claimed without some seriously extensive research, which, according to many of the sources above, have not really been pioneered. It is an interesting argument though.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see what people come up with to explain the cause of autism. Though the theory that TV can cause autism is an interesting one, I don't quite buy it. I pretty much agree with all the previous comments. I do think it's healthier to limit how much TV children watch, and totally agree that maybe it seemed that the child had autistic tendencies because he was always watching the TV and not interacting with people. I think that there is not enough research to make a valid claim. I also think that Waldman's child being cured is "bogus" :). I also have to say I really liked the articles you guys chose- you had an argument from both sides and the facts. Good choices:).
ReplyDeleteInteresting articles. I dont agree that Autism is caused by television watching. There was not enough evidence or legitamatly researched information to even make a believable correlation. If a study was going to be made that watching television may speed up the process or the recognition of autism, maybe you would have a case. I think parents just need a reality check on how they are spending their time with their children. The problem is they arent providing stimulating or growing experiences for their children. Sure some families use TV or movies only for a little entertainment but there is so much abuse of TV. Children are being left to veg and not causing that their brains stretch or have the time to develop their own personal talents or likes. I don't believe that Waldman cured his son but I think it made him rethink his parenting to his son. I think its an interesting reality check for all.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous! I think the relationship between cause and effect has been seriously blurred. I do believe that the natural stimulation, interaction, and human touch that was being replaced by television would be a negative consequence that could be observed. Even though I don't believe Television is the cause, I still think it should be used in moderation. And more important than using television in moderation, I think the quality of shows that are being watched is vital. Video games and television are in my opinion way way out of control these days. So if this is going to scare parents away from the television I am okay with that.
ReplyDeleteLauren, I love your comment--"if this is going to scare parents away from the television I am okay with that"--I agree. I agree with the general consensus that TV does not cause autism, but I also appreciate Waldman's statement that we should look under every single possible stone. No, TV probably isn't the cause but I'm glad he took the time to do his study. We won't find solutions until we take the time to sift through a lot of false ideas.
ReplyDeleteI think there is absolutely not enough evidence to connect excessive TV watching with autism. It is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation, and just because one study says that rates of autism are higher in rainier cities where children are more likely to watch television does not mean that TV causes autism. And what exactly is "excessive" television watching anyway? Who defines that? I feel like this study is just an interesting side note, something that may or may not have anything to do with the cause of autism. Before anything can be stated for certain, there definitely needs to be a lot more reasearch done. I do, however, appreciate the fact that professors and scientists are looking at numerous different options. As of right now, there is still a lot that is not known about autism, and it is important to look at a large array of options in order to find more information about this disability and how to help those who are affected by it.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that watching too much T.V. causes Autism for children as they grow up. I feel that there is simply not enough information and evidence to back this argumet up. I do believe that too much T.V for children (or anyone for that matter) is not good and I do believe that it definately can affect people. This does not mean that it has a direct relationship with Autism though.
ReplyDeleteI have always been wary of people claiming causation. There are always so many variables in real life. We do not live in sterile labs that have no biases or have all the variables controlled. Though I believe that watching to much TV is not good for you just like anything that isn't used in moderation, I don't thinkt hat it can cause Autism.
ReplyDeleteI hope that they continue to look for possible causes of Autism, but at the same time, studies such as this make me wish they spent the money on trying to figure out a new technology to help those who already have Autism.
I think believing you can cure someone with autism by limiting their television watching is simply outrageous. Watching many hours of TV is not good for anyone; however I cannot believe that it causes autism. There are way too many different variables. I like how the study stated that there is no direct correlation between autism and TV watching. Too many inferences are being made by Waldman. I don’t believe it is a cause, because it’s not. So many people that watch lots of TV don’t have autism. Sure, people respond to different things differently, but if it was a cause there would be a whole lot more people diagnosed autism right now.
ReplyDeleteIt could be very possible that Michael Waldman’s boy had autism before he even watched television and he only noticed it because he wanted a connection between and a reason for his son’s disability. But I also think that what children with autism see, hear, and feel will affect their actions and focuses in life as it affects children without autism. A child with autism will not be as active after watching a lot of television as will a normal child without autism. I do not think that there is a strong correlation between watching television and autism in a child.
ReplyDeleteI honestly believe that there is no clear cut answer to what causes autism. I am not sold on the idea that by watching too much television causes autism. If this were the case, we would have more autism diagnoses across the country. Also, there are so many television shows that are supposed to promote brain development, such as Little Einstein. I’m sure that autism could be caused by various things, but there just was not enough evidence supporting that television caused Waldeman’s son’s autism. It’s ridiculous. What could have contributed to it, however, is the lack of stimulation from his family. There is no proof supporting this idea at all. Waldeman most likely reconsidered parenting his son after the diagnosis and that most likely had direct correlation with his son’s overall improvement, not the decreased amount of television watched.
ReplyDeleteThe two variables can be related, children with autism might like to watch TV, but he's got the cause and effect backwards. If your child is diagnosed with autism, it would be great to turn off the TV. In fact with any child it would be great. Playing outside and interacting with people and the outdoors would benefit any child. Adults too! I just don't see television as a cause for autism. Actually, the study didn't find that either. hmmm. I wonder if we'll ever know what does cause it. I am glad there are people trying, but I don't agree that too much television causes autism.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is no solid proof that autism is caused by watching an excessive amount of television. Also, I feel that it is important to note that Waldeman himself stated that watching TV triggers autism in children that are already genetically pre-disposed. So, using this argument, couldn’t it be said that these children would have autism regardless of the amount of TV they watched? If TV didn’t trigger their autism, wouldn’t something else? I am simply not convinced that TV has anything to do with autism. I liked what Kara said as well, what exactly is an “excessive amount” of television? That term can be interpreted many ways and is difficult to quantify. Also, even if watching TV did trigger one child’s autism (which I don’t believe it does), I do not feel that that one case could then be generalized to the point of saying that TV was the cause of autism in every child who watched a lot of TV and was genetically pre-disposed to autism. Basically, there is a lot more research that needs to be done regarding television and its connection to autism.
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at several points in Waldman's study. First of all, simply searching for correlation does not prove causation as we all know. Shelly, Autumn, and others pointed out other possible, more likely variables: TV provides stimulation, TV provides interaction the child may be missing out on, or maybe Autistic children like TV better in general - maybe that is why he is finding a correlation, but which causes which?
ReplyDeleteOne point I agree with is what Layton said in the HowStuffWorks article: that research is currently focused on genetics and biochemical issues, maybe we should take a look at other possibile contributions to Autism.
My first impression of this idea that watching too much television causes autism does not make sense to me. The research that was presented in the articles supports my position. The studies conducted were not able to prove a causal relationship between watching television and being diagnosed with autism. It seems as though this is just another coincidental thing that is similar to people blaming autism on child vaccinations. I think it is good that people are researching many different causes for autism, however, I think they need to be careful that they do not say one thing causes another until it has been proven with research.
ReplyDeleteThis is just as bogus (if not more so) as the theory that vaccinations cause autism. Of course Waldman's son's attention and language problems "disappeared" after a few months without TV--ALL kids develop problems when they watch too much TV. I know I did, and do. After a day of watching TV I can barely hold an intelligent conversation.
ReplyDeleteThe trend I've noticed in the blog entries about possible causes of autism is that the media jumps to conclusions with research findings. A headline that reads "television may cause autism" grabs a lot more attention than one reading "correlation between television and autism may exist." I think we would do well when talking with parents or teachers about these reports to point out that the statistics these researchers are using cannot show a causal relationship--only a possible correlation. As mentioned in previous comments, there are too many variables in the autism spectrum to pinpoint a single cause.
As is the case with several of the other posts concerning the causes of Autism, I think that these parents are grasping at anything to explain why their child has been diagnosed with Autism. As is the case with this study, it seemed as though the father was not only trying desperately to cope with the diagnosis but it also seemed as though he felt guilty for having stuck his kid in front of a TV for so long. The article in ABC news was neither compelling nor particularly scholarly. I found it hard to swallow the line about how the son suddenly developed autism soon after an increase in television watching and then his problems quickly disappeared when they decreased the amount of television he watched. That is just not the way Autism works. The whole argument lacked scientific relevance. It seemed as though that there might have been another hidden agenda against “television babysitting.”
ReplyDeleteMichael Waldman’s claim about his son and the connection of TV and autism may have some validity. At this beginning stage however there are a lot of questions to be answered. This is one reason why I appreciated the third article by Julia Layton where she explains the affect autism has on the brain. However, she does not rule out Professor Waldman’s claims. She states basically what he stated, even the article by the mother, commented on his reasoning yet with much more emotion. Making the points that: Autism rates increased at the time cable came into play and autism rates are higher in colder areas where people have a tendency to watch more TV seems to be a worth while assumption and then of course he backed it up with research.
ReplyDeleteI especially agree with article number three: It recognizes that we have some new research which doesn’t include picking and probing at the brain to learn about autism. It looks like they only scratched the surface and much more needs to be done; I say do not rule it out continue to research and learn.
Do I believe too much TV “causes” autism? It could be a contributing factor, but probably not the main cause. TV has a great hold on people and is definitely not a social interactive activity; I can see why this Dad was concerned and tried something different. We all should set such goals using other types of testing and other activities.