Watching TV Can Kill You
December 4, 2015
The Cancer Institution constructed a study on Oct. 25 about what an excessive amount of TV watching can do to humans. Results showed that Americans who watch three or more hours of TV each day, double their chance of dying compared to people who watch one hour or less.
So binge-watching one’s favorite show for hours and hours on Netflix until you finish all six seasons and then move on to another show to do the same thing over again, can have a dangerously negative effect.
TV watching is viewed as more negative than sitting at one’s desk or even driving to work. This activity is likely to kill you not only because it requires sedentary behavior, but also because usually when one watches TV they tend to consume a lot of junk food and they do not even realize how much they are eating due to being so engulfed into his or her show. Since sitting or lying down is required while watching TV, it also negatively affects how your body manages cholesterol, which could then lead to heart disease. Active TV watchers, like Zach Young, who watches about five to six hours of TV a day, admits that he indeed binge-watches like most Americans do.
“Right when I get home from school,” Young said, “I watch my favorite TV show, American Horror Story, and do homework at the same time.”
Nowadays, it is not only cable that is watched, television networks like Netflix and Hulu are becoming entertainment sensations that allow viewers to stream any movie or show they want at any time. Brian Castro, who enjoys watching shows on Netflix, believes that temperance can lessen the negative effects.
“I’m part of a generation of ‘cable-cutters,’” Castro said.“I think that [binge-watching TV could kill], is a very large claim; however, maybe taking a break once in awhile will help.”
According to researchers at the Cancer Institution, adding exercise is not enough to eliminate the negative effects of watching TV; however, there is still some dissension over this claim. Young believes that it all depends on the person and his or her habits.
“I think that’s ridiculous,” Young said. “I believe my lifestyle counteracts the negatives of watching TV. I eat healthy and exercise even while watching TV.”
Valerie DeAnda, a sport enthusiast, not only enjoys watching her favorite teams play, but she also expands her TV watching to a motley set of shows that she makes sure she gets something out of.
“I’m a girl that loves her football and baseball,” DeAnda said, “So I could never miss those. Once in awhile I’ll squeeze in a novella or something; I’m not really restrictive in what I watch.”
Further research is being implemented to find out more about the mysteries of TV binge-watching and how it will affect the health of the generations to come.