Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

Most people would acknowledge that excessive television watching is probably not the healthiest life habit. For decades there have been persistent worries that exposure to violence on TV is responsible for an increase in violence in society. And so too with the sexual themes on television and their possible impact on behaviors of adolescents.

Rarely do we read about research that talks about any positive consequences of television. But surely there are some obvious aspects to watching TV. For instance, TV has the ability to reach a mass audience instantly with important information. Exposure to critical warnings about smoking, for instance is clearly a good thing. And bringing political candidates live and in full color to our living rooms makes for a better informed electorate than if we only knew them through the filter of print and word of mouth.

But one scientific study actually suggests that television can be a powerful tool in helping sick patients cope with pain! In a nutshell it found that the numbing effect of TV can be helpful for those in the hospital. The research was reported in the British Journal Archives of Disease in Childhood. And although the findings are clearly intuitive, the study confirms what we suspected, that “children watching cartoons suffered less pain from a hypodermic needle than kids not watching TV.”
Well, duh!

What was a bit unsettling, however is the finding that the cartoons were actually more comforting to the children than their own mothers! So while it’s good to have a powerful distraction for children getting painful medical procedures, it is also troubling "because we have demonstrated the excessive power of television," said chief author, Carlo Bellieni, a father of three and a neonatologist and pediatrician at the University of Siena in Italy. In general, Mom’s soothing touch may be overrated, another expert said. Whoa!

Those watching TV cartoons reported half the pain as those who were being soothed by Mom. When compared with children who just sat in a hospital room with mothers who didn’t try to soothe them, the TV watchers reported one-third the pain. "The power of television is strong and it can be harmful for children if it is stronger than the force made by the mother to distract children," Bellieni said. "I believe that this power must be controlled and reduced."

Well, maybe. But until we find something better, I’ll pay for television next time I have to get a needle! The bottom line is that the variable is the distracting nature of media, not the content of the show. Something that draws your attention away from the discomfort at hand is an established strategy to coping with physical and emotional pain. A therapist will affirm that mixing healthy distractions along with opportunities to feel the pains of life and experience is the best way to cope and grow.

So enjoy some distractions this weekend. A football game, movie or even some favorite reruns may be just what the doctor ordered.