I think, the problem is deeper than just watching TV. The real question is what activities does it replace. 3.5 hours per day is a a significant portion of one'

I think, the problem is deeper than just watching TV. The real question is what activities does it replace. 3.5 hours per day is a a significant portion of one's day, if you subtract sleep, food, shopping, doctor visits and other basic needs. I wouldn't be surprised if those who watch less TV fill that time with creative hobbies, socialization, reading of thought-provoking books, etc. As a matter of fact, I would love to see a paper trying to structure those activities and correlate the prevalent groups to the cognitive performance.