Monday, July 12, 2004
Watching TV may speed up puberty
Watching too much television may distort the hormonal balance of children and push many of them into early puberty, according to a new study. Italian researchers found children denied access to TV for just one week experienced a jump of 30 per cent in their melatonin levels. The hormone is thought to prevent the early onset of puberty.
Professor Roberto Salti, of the Meyer Hospital at the University of Florence, said the results were very significant. They supported the hypothesis that the light and radiation coming from TV and computer screens can modify some hormones.
"There is a big difference between the children of today and those of 30 years ago," said Dr Salti. "Today they spend very many hours, five or six a day in some cases, in front of the TV."
The phenomenon of precocious puberty is increasing all over the western world. According to Dr Salti, some girls today enter puberty as young as 7, and some boys only slightly later. Exposure to TV could be one factor in this, he said.
Meanwhile, a bit of Norwegian research shows that teenagers who use mobile phones are more likely to have had sex. Researchers at the University of Oslo questioned more than 10,000 youngsters between the ages of 13 and 18 and found that 60 per cent of those who used mobiles a lot had had sex, while only 9 per cent of those who seldom or never used cell phones had had sex.
Those with mobile phones often embarked on sexual activity as young as 13. The researchers attributed this to the fact that children often flirt on cell phones and can make "speedy contact". "The use of mobile phones is directly responsible for early sexual encounters. [The phones] are as harmful as porn sites and adult magazines," said Professor Willy Pederson.
Acknowledgement: Both these items come from the latest newsletter at the Family and Society website.
Watching too much television may distort the hormonal balance of children and push many of them into early puberty, according to a new study. Italian researchers found children denied access to TV for just one week experienced a jump of 30 per cent in their melatonin levels. The hormone is thought to prevent the early onset of puberty.
Professor Roberto Salti, of the Meyer Hospital at the University of Florence, said the results were very significant. They supported the hypothesis that the light and radiation coming from TV and computer screens can modify some hormones.
"There is a big difference between the children of today and those of 30 years ago," said Dr Salti. "Today they spend very many hours, five or six a day in some cases, in front of the TV."
The phenomenon of precocious puberty is increasing all over the western world. According to Dr Salti, some girls today enter puberty as young as 7, and some boys only slightly later. Exposure to TV could be one factor in this, he said.
Meanwhile, a bit of Norwegian research shows that teenagers who use mobile phones are more likely to have had sex. Researchers at the University of Oslo questioned more than 10,000 youngsters between the ages of 13 and 18 and found that 60 per cent of those who used mobiles a lot had had sex, while only 9 per cent of those who seldom or never used cell phones had had sex.
Those with mobile phones often embarked on sexual activity as young as 13. The researchers attributed this to the fact that children often flirt on cell phones and can make "speedy contact". "The use of mobile phones is directly responsible for early sexual encounters. [The phones] are as harmful as porn sites and adult magazines," said Professor Willy Pederson.
Acknowledgement: Both these items come from the latest newsletter at the Family and Society website.
