Brainrot, Now With Benefits: Exploring the Effects of Television on the Mind

Many nights, there is lively discussion around my dinner table. I may mention a theory I have conjectured, involving time travel, wormholes, and amnesia, and my father may interject to debate on a finer point of the time travel paradox. My sister pipes up with a full description of a Faraday cage and its significance, and my mother mentions an anomaly she noticed in last week’s episode. Yes, that is correct, we are not discussing a book, homework, or a news article—we are discussing a TV show, Lost, to be precise.

            How many times have we all heard the rhetoric that television “rots the brain,” stunts mental growth, destroys creativity? And yet, my family is brought together many nights through discussion of a television show. Some of the most creative minds in America are involved with the production of twisting, turning plots for serialized shows.  Intellectual shows like CSI, Lost, House, Alias, and Firefly have captivated millions, and spawned vast “fandoms” bursting with creative work that stems from the orginal storyline—and yet the generally accepted opinion is that television is virtually poison for the mind, destroying intelligence as efficiently as those missiles from Battlestar Galactica.

There is a wealth of scientific literature devoted to the effects of television on people, especially children. Most of these studies indicate a negative effect, which has been sensationalized by the media to the degree that television seems as taboo as one of House’s patients actually dying. But a ground-breaking study performed by Gentzkow and Shapiro of the University of Chicago suggests that these findings may as be flawed and false as one of Benjamin Linus’ lies. No other study to date has taken into account the extraneous factors involved in studying the effects of television: obviously, a child who watches many hours of television will have a very different home life from one who watches none. Gentzkow and Shapiro’s research took a very different turn, as roundabout and twisting as one of Lost’s storylines. They unearthed test scores from 1965 in two distinct cities. The main difference between these cities is that one first began broadcasting television in the late 1940s, while the other did not receive service until mid 1950. Young children in the first city, therefore, were exposed to more TV at a younger age than children in the other city. If there was an effect on intelligence, it would have been obvious in 1965 when the children took standardized tests. When the data was examined, no difference was discovered; if anything, kids in the city with television scored higher (Jensen).

            This is not the only study that has found television innocent of detrimental effects. Richard Temblay of the University of Montreal spent 20 years studying over 35,000 children, only to discover that television has no effect on violent behavior later in life (Triplett). A 2008 study found that listening to music, no matter what kind, opera or MTV, may improve mental and physical health dramatically (Stewart). And a study by Seattle researchers found that for 3-5 year olds, watching more than 3 hours of TV a day actually improved reading tests administrated at age 7 (Stanton).

            Why would television actually improve intelligence? There are many theories. It has been suggested by many that television may be an excellent source for observational learning: learning without being conscious of it. Anyone who has seen a little boy imitating his favorite PowerRanger can attest to the power of observational learning. Some behaviors are not desirable, and so parents must always be careful about what they let their children watch. But other behaviors that can be gleaned from TV are beneficial. Watching medical shows teaches one how to act in a hospital, or when a loved one is sick. Watching reality shows instruct one in the art of interacting with others, showing what to do or more often what not to do in certain situations. Basically any show can teach social skills: how to deal with problems, how to talk to authority figures, how to talk to friends. Shows designed intentionally to inform may also assist learning, albeit not in an unconscious manner. The Discovery Channel, the History Channel, documentaries—all are bursting with fascinating, educational information. Watching the news helps a person (young or old) learn about current affairs and politics. Shows that deal with sensitive material (abortion, suicide, etc) may spark discussion among family members about those subjects, helping children form their own opinions. Shows with good messages—Beauty and the Geek, Oprah’s Big Give, St. Elsewhere, 7^th Heaven—can instill morals in a child.

            We are a visual species, and through visual medium like television, much can be learned and experienced. Once, people thought that reading novels had a negative effect on the brain, and left that useless activity to women and children. Television is simply the next evolution in media. Who is to say that one day in the future, all stories will be told through film, as text becomes obsolete? And no doubt it will be those “brain-rotted” minds, those kids who to learn, to grow, to experience through TV, who lead the way into the next generation.

Works Cited

Jensen, Elizabeth. “Study Finds Test Scores Not Lowered by Television.” New York Times 26 Feb 2007 10 Apr 2008. <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/business/media/27brain.html?_r=2&8seia&emc=seia&oref=slogin&oref=slogin>.

Triplett, William. “TV not to blame for violence, study says.” Variety.com News. 09 Oct 2007. Variety. 10 Apr 2008. <http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117974404.html?categoryid=14&cs=1>

Stewart, Kelly. “How Music Affects Emotion, Intelligence, and Health.” Propeller. Mar 28 2008. Stanza Ltd.. 10 Apr 2008. <http://www.propeller.com/viewstory/2008/03/29/how-music-affects-emotion-intelligence-and-health/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FPsychology%2FHow-Music-Affects-Emotion-Intelligence-and-Health.100762&frame=true>.

Stanton, Carina. “TV viewing good and bad for kids, Seattle study says.” The Seattle Times 05 Jul 2005 10 Apr 2008. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002357593_tv05m.html.

Pics of the original essay: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Revised edition: Revised

 The Ivy Lie

Stream of Consciousness

A Love Song With No Hyperboles

Letter to the Editor

The Shedrow

 Our Declaration