Does Watching TV Make You Dumb? - [How It Affect Brain?]

In this modern era of mobile phones, you must have heard someone saying TV is for idiots. Well, it’s just a kind of stereotype or a joke.

But in the past couple of years, many researchers and studies started getting famous in which they used to say that TV affects your brain badly and eventually makes you dumb.

Are they right?

Does watching TV really make you dumb?

No! Not really!

Yes, watching TV for a long has many effects on your brain, but claiming it to make you dumb is quite a big call.

To learn more about the relationship between your brain and TV, don’t miss any part of this helpful article:

Table of Contents

Does Watching TV Rot Your Brain?

We all have heard at least once in our childhood from our parents that watching TV makes us dumb and rot our brains. But is it true?

Watching TV, and especially binge-watching TV, has many bad effects on our mental and physical health. But everyone’s brain is different.

You might have noticed that some people will get a headache after watching TV while others seem normal.

When we talk about being children, a young brain is a fresh brain that can consume more information than an old brain.

That’s why kids are more creative. They can bear watching TV for a long but their eyes might not. In the end, the worst thing watching TV can do with you is ‘behavioral change’ and mostly in a bad and angry way.

Which Parts of the Brain Are Active While Watching TV?

Before going further into the discussion of the brain and TV, we should first know all those sections of the brain that actively have to work when you are watching TV:

1. Occipital Lobes:

The occipital lobe is the backside of your brain, and this part is completely responsible for all the visuals you see in front of your eyes.

When you are watching a movie or show with intense (climax) scenes with so much going on, it has to do much more work.

2. Temporal Lobes:

This lobe or part of the brain works to provide you with clear voice or audio. When there is so much going on around you (like in the market), Temporal Lobes can get exhausted. The same goes with high volume or so many noises of TV.

3. Frontal Lobe:

After the first two lobes, this is part of the brain that has to do most of the work while watching TV. This part of the brain is responsible for things like:

Decision making
Executive functioning
Processing information and much

All of these tasks have to be done at the same time when you are watching TV, which is why this part might cause a headache as well.

4. Amygdala:

Amygdala is the one that works with emotions, and we all know how emotional TV shows and movies have become. If you are also one of those who can’t control their emotions and cry or shout out loud while watching TV, your Amygdala might not be in its finest state.

5. Cerebellum:

It’s responsible for the movements and balances of your body. While watching TV, you have to concentrate on many different things at the same time, like audio, video, or maybe food.

6. Parietal Lobe:

This lobe makes you feel that everything going on in the TV show or movie is real and worldly.

Binge-Watching TV: Does It Kill Brain Cells?

At this point, you know that watching TV for a long is not good for you. Moreover, while knowing about different parts of the brain, you came to know that six sections of your brain work together to give you the best experience.

Now the question is: don’t they get tired?

Yes, if your brain is being concentrated for so long on one point, it needs a break to relax different muscles and sections. For example, when you work continuously, you get tired, and at some point, you get so much tired that your brain starts doing the wrong things.

So, the question arises: Does binge-watching TV kill your brain cells?

Well, there is no such research still that directly proves that binge-watching TV kills the brain or brain cells. But it certainly has many bad effects on your mental health. Many experts say that if binge-watching Netflix and stuff become your addiction, it can cause issues like:

Insomnia
Obesity
And even Depression

The problem shown above starts if you don’t stop at problems like:

Tired Brain
decreased cognitive performance
Fatigue

If you are facing any of these problems or issues like these, decrease your screen time to continue living a healthy life.

Is Watching TV Making You a Gold Fish?

Yes, watching TV for a long can make you a Gold Fish, and this is not a joke. But how?

Gold Fish is a specie that can’t concentrate on one thing for long. And you can also become like it if you don’t stop your addiction to TV.

One of the biggest concerns doctors show when they see someone who is addicted to TV is “decreased attention span.”

Attention span means the time you can spend focusing on one thing on average. A high attention span is extremely important in everyone’s professional life.

So, think practically at least once whether you can compromise on your TV or work!

How to Tackle with Bad Effects of Watching TV?

From the beginning to this point, we have just discussed issues and the bad effects of watching TV. But now, it’s time to jump into the ways to tackle those issues that watching TV creates:

Limit Screen Time: Let’s start with the most obvious way of tackling this issue. Yes, it’s difficult if you are a TV addict, but you have to take this very step.
Take Breaks: If you can’t stop watching TV, you need to take the first step by watching for short periods to let your brain rest.
Watch with Friends: When more than one person is watching together, there are fewer chances of binge-watching.
Try Other Activities: Engage yourself in other activities like sports to get away with TV.

Conclusion:

In the end, you know whether watching TV makes you dumb or not. Moreover, you are now filled with information related to the topic.

Now, you are ready to tackle with bad effects of watching TV by following our ways.

Related Articles:-

Does Watching TV Make You Dumb? – [How It Affect Brain?]

Does Watching TV Rot Your Brain?