4 ms·

Watching TV and play video games have not the same effects on the brain. Watching TV puts your brain in idle mode

• phil248 9y ago
  Depends on the show. A lot of media is incredibly stimulating and stick with you for hours or days (or more) after you've watched it. Even complex shows like Game of Thrones can be stimulating simply because of the complexity, even if it's nothing more than made-up stories. And stuff like Blue Planet or Black Mirror are genuinely thought-provoking.
• drdrey 9y ago
  I don't disagree -- but why do we value reading books so much over watching TV? Aren't you consuming stories passively in both cases? (let's say reading Harry Potter vs watching Harry Potter)
  • aviv 9y ago
    Well, I realize you may be playing devil's advocate, otherwise I'm sure you know the answer yourself: why do you (as you said before) limit your kids screen time? Do you also limit their book reading time?
  • pound 9y ago
    When you're reading books your brain is working on visualizing what you've just read
  • jogjayr 9y ago
    Because skills gained from reading fiction transfer relatively easily into more productive pursuits: studying, programming, writing. Not to mention that reading isn't "consuming stories passively". You need to develop an imagination and draw pictures in your head. It's hard(er) to develop useful skills from TV watching; the only thing I can think of is maybe learning about filmmaking, and that's only if you're watching to learn rather than watching passively. I read mostly fiction as a kid and owe most of my career to my reading and writing skills.