Pass the Remote!

Is SpongeBob sucking up your child’s brain?

No, say two Texas Tech researchers who have relieved guilty parents all over the world. According to their recent study, no link exists between television and hyperactivity in children.

Attention deficiency and hyperactivity were “recognized as a disorder of childhood well before children had television to watch,” researchers noted. And, while exhausted parents may resort to using TV as a “babysitter,” that doesn’t mean Big Bird is egging them on.

No doubt this is a ratings bonus for many families—last year, 2- to 5-year-olds watched TV nearly 4 hours a day.