Concerns raised about over stimulation

Cormorant flying with water's reflection

Seems that watching a fast paced children's television program, SpongeBob, may over tax children's senses and minds so that later they are not fully able to concentrate on their work.  This observation comes from a small study that was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.  Kids who either colored or watched a considerably slower paced television show, "Caillou", performed considerably better on four tasks they were asked to perform following their activity.  This research is briefly described in StarTribune article, "SpongeBob may soak up too much attention".

Referencing the "SpongeBob" group, Dimitri Christikakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle's Children's Research Institute noted "These children's brains were actually tired from all the stimulation, and then the expectation that they focus on something became a challenge for them." Dimitri went on to reference how the average preschooler spends approximately 4.5 hours a day watching television or DVDs.

Further research is needed to access the long-term affects of fast paced media on children's ability to concentrate.

This study ties into one of my earlier blog postings on "monkey mind".  I dare say that children are not the only ones who may be experiencing difficulty concentrating in this increasingly frenetic world.