A study by New Zealand scientists showed that children who spend at least two hours a day watching TV are more likely to become addicted to gambling, cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol in adulthood. The Daily Mail reports this with reference to material in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
The 1,000-person study began when they were children and ended when they were over 45 years old. Between two and six years apart, the researchers conducted a survey to find out how often the participants watched TV, whether they gambled, and whether they took drugs.
The results showed that those who watched more than two hours of TV on weekdays between the ages of five and 15 were 29% more likely to have problems with gambling as adults than those who did not spend as much time in front of the screen.
They were also 20% more likely to be addicted to tobacco products and have a higher risk of alcohol or cannabis use disorders.
Study leader Dr. Helena McAnelli said: "This study shows that for some people, TV viewing may be an early onset of an addictive disorder or may lead to later addictive disorders, including those associated with substance use".
The study was observational. This means that the researchers did not set out to find evidence that television increases the risk of problem behavior later in life, and that genetics or parental influence may also have influenced the results.