Originally published April 6 2004
Modern television is little more than junk food for the brain
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
It gives new meaning to the term "television programming" -- the average
child, regardless of age, watches over 40,000 television commercials a
year in the United States. That's a psychological bombardment, and
makers of sugary breakfast cereals and junk foods absolutely love it.
Children, you see, can't distinguish between TV programs and TV
advertising. Many childrens' shows blur the lines even further:
often, commercials feature the same or similar characters found in the
shows. The American Psychological Association (APA) calls advertising
aimed at children under the age of 8 "exploitative" and points out that
messages contained in commercials viewed by children go straight into
the "truth" category in their minds rather than being critically viewed
as commercial in nature as adults can do.
It's sad, but television
-- once heralded as a bringer of education and knowledge -- has become
nothing more than a tool of control and profit. It turns children into
nagging machines that results in parents buying whatever products are
advertised. And adults are no better: they line up in droves to buy
products advertised to them, too, even while believing they aren't
influenced by ads at all. Even worse, television news has become nothing
more than tabloid "junk food for the brain" that covers whatever story
is popular, not what's relevant to our lives. TV and cable network
networks are largely a joke, and most of the people I know don't bother
watching television at all.
The American Psychological Association is calling on federal
regulators to restrict advertising aimed at children eight and under,
citing research that shows youngsters accept a commercial's claims
without question.
The association was vague about what specific restrictions the
government should take, but suggested a variety of options, including a
ban on all ads on television shows aimed at children 8 and younger; a
more limited ban on ads for specific products (sugary foods and salty
snacks); a tighter limit on how many minutes of advertising could be
aired during children's shows; and/or a firmer rule requiring TV shows
to more clearly distinguish between programming and commercials.
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