Simulators, lurking in the dark

Rahul Goel is just another regular 11-year-old. Till a few months ago, he spent most of his time watching cartoons and other popular kids programmes on TV. He has been good in his studies since Kindergarten; so his parents were surprised to know from his teachers that he was becoming fidgety and inattentive. “When his academic performances sank we decided to take him to a counsellor,” said Nita, Rahul's mother.

Rahul was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), a neural condition marked by behavioural and learning disorders.

But Rahul is just one of the 3-3.5% of Indian kids suffering from the disorder manifested by symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, impulsiveness and difficulty in executing tasks. Each of these symptoms, in turn, can have a myriad effects as the affected kid grows older--  he or she can grow up to be introverted, socially awkward and aggressive or may even suffer from anxiety and depression.

Few theories suggest that the problem could be genetic. New studies point towards another perspective. Researchers in New Zealand found that TV and video games do have a long term impact on the development of ADHD in children. Watching TV "rewires" a child’s brain says Dr Dimitri A. Christakis, director of the Child Health Institute at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle. Exposure to videos over-stimulates a child’s brain and causes changes in the development of neural pathways.

"In contrast to the way real life unfolds and is experienced by young children, the pace of TV is greatly sped up." says Dr. Christakis. In his report published in the journal Paediatrics, Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote, “Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence.”

Aside from causing behavioural disorders such as aggression and hyperactivity, TV and video games do have “manifold effects on children that include ‘declined verbal memory performance’”, opines Dr. J. D. Mukherji, Head of Neurology at Max Institute of Neurosciences in New Delhi. He suggests alternative forms of entertainment such as family activities, organized games and certain video games that can improve learning skills and are a "simulation of the real world".

13 year old Sahil's story is similar to Rahul's. He too was addicted to TV and his gaming console. "It was difficult to coax him out of the room even for his meals. He lost his ability to concentrate, stay still or interact properly with people, "said Mr. Gupta, Sahil's father."His performance in class continued to worsen which led to self esteem issues. A psychologist confirmed he was suffering from ADHD," he adds.

A recent study by Paediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Paediatrics, further corroborates the findings. Conducted on children in their third, fourth and fifth grades, it too holds television and video games responsible for attention problems in the young. As Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University says, "it is not unreasonable to believe that environmental stimuli can increase the risk for a medical condition like ADHD in the same way that environmental stimuli, like cigarettes, can increase the risk for cancer".

Psychologist Dr. Sheena Mishra Ghosh points out, "The stimulus the brain receives is as important as diet and exercise and plays a very important role in building the level of attention. Most children are naturally hyperactive. An overdose of TV and video games impacts the brain to intensify this nature.”

But television is also the primary source of infotainment for kids. Can they live without it? Sheena stresses on building parent-children dialogues and limiting TV viewing time to 45 minutes a day. For children with ADHD, methods such as counseling, behavioural and family therapy are recommended.

Despite India being a country with high incidence of the disorder, ADHD-awareness is almost nonexistent. Psychologists and sociologists have many questions to ask:  If TV and games are to blame, do parents have a role in aggravating the addiction? Are we relying too much on TV to play babysitter? Or is it excessive parental affection that doesn’t allow saying ‘no’?


(With agency inputs. Some names changed on request)