One of the fun things about being a parent is watching the sheer
number of mind-boggling and often-contradictory medical studies telling
you what is or is not best for your child. If you read enough of them,
you can drive yourself crazy! I tend to read all of them with more
than just a grain of salt.
The latest study
in the science journal, Biologist, indicates that TV is FAR worse for
children than expected. In fact, according to the study's authors,
there are 15 major negative effects that TV can have on youngsters.
These include short-sightedness, premature puberty, diabetes,
Alzheimer's, and autism. The report is not yet available online.
However, I find it hard to believe that they can firmly establish such
causation. As always, I'm looking forward to reading more about it.
The report concludes by recommending that children under the age of
three should not be watching any television at all, and parents should
only introduce it sensibly from three onwards. Shit, how am I going to
entertain my kid now? (Just kidding!)
About MetroDad
I'm a French-named, speed-reading, former public policy analyst now trapped in the body of a Asian-American fashion executive. I've ridden elephants in Sri Lanka, imbibed snake venom in China, skiied the Italian Dolomites, eaten barbecue in Pakistan, travelled to every state except North Dakota, visited 28 out of 32 major league ballparks, worshipped at the altar of Graceland 5 times and have shut down most of the nightclubs in Paris. That being said, I still get lost every time I go through the Lincoln Tunnel.
It's safe to say that we'd probably get along if you can truly appreciate the real beauty in...a good Peking duck, Sunday's NYT crossword, nice manners, Scrabble, Law & Order, spontaneous travel, Otoro, Jim Jarmusch, Tabasco sauce, Morrissey, Haruki Murakami, Peets coffee, Radiohead, listening to baseball games on the radio, Thievery Corporation, X-Men comics, fresh powder, Southern BBQ, Christopher Hitchens, bloomin' onions, mid-century design, the warmth of a good scotch, a great day spent fishing where you didn't catch a damn thing...
On a related note, I'd like to believe that I probably have absolutely nothing in common with another human being who really loves any of the following: pro bass fishing on tv, NASCAR, low carb Cabernet, Kathey Griffin, Microsoft, the Olsens, Applebees, Jessica Simpson, romance novels, tofu bacon, Pamela Anderson, ballet, "Survivor" or HUMMERs. Similarly, I could also never be friends with someone who mixes up "they're", "there", and "their". I will give you a smidge of credit if you know the difference between "if" and "whether". But if you leave any participles dangling, we're breaking up.
In conclusion, let me just say...
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
(The Designater Hitter Rule has got to go)
