The article under consideration is the “Impact of Singular Excessive Computer Game and Television Exposure on Sleep Patterns and Memory Performance of School-aged Children” (2007) by Markus Dworak, Thomas Schierl, Thomas Bruns and Heiko Klaus Strüder in Pediatrics, Vol. 120, no 5, pp. 978-985, which dwells upon the influence of television of school-aged children sleep and their memory abilities.
Television and computer games have occupied the modern world. The scientists have proved that watching TV is very dangerous. Children are in the group of danger as their mind has been only forming and the effect from television and computer games may be unpredictable as violence is one of the main topics of the television channels. The other effect from watching TV and playing computer games, which was researched, is the disturbance of sleep and memory performance in the school-aged children.
Sleep is one of the main reasons for good health and brain work. People must sleep in order to lead normal and adequate life, without any health problems. The article presents the essence, the methods and the results of the experiment which had to show the influence of TV and computer games on German children’s sleep. The experiment took place in Healthy Sleep for Cologne Children study by the support of the Institute of Motor Control and Movement Technique and the Institute of Sports, Media and Communications and performed at the Institute of Motor Control and Movement Technique (German Sport University Cologne).
The participants were boys aged from 12 till 14 with good health activities. Only male gender was chosen due to the fact that girls’ menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive could influence sleeping behavior.
The participants of the experiment had to play computer games and watch expressive films in the time, most approximate to their every day regime. Before and during their sleep some special experiments were provided in order to measure the sleep ability. The short-term and longer-term memory was also measured by subtests. The usual regime continued as children had to go to bed in when they usually did and wake up as usual, the every day activities did not change, only playing computer games and watching TV were limited according to the experiment conditions (these activities were provided in one and the same time every day).
The statistics and careful signing of all results and numbers from experiment was also the important factor in the experiment results analysis.
Repeated measurements analysis of variance and Bonferroni test as a posthoc test were the main analyzers during the experiment. The results showed significant changes in children organism. After watching TV sleep efficiency decreased. The Visual and Verbal Memory Test also showed negative influence of computer games on the children’s sleep. The test results, provided in Germany, confirmed the results of other experiments that children’s sleep in impacted by TV watching and computer playing. This impact was rather harmful.
The results of the experiment allowed scientists and medicine workers to suspect parents about the danger which waits for their children before the screen of TV set or a computer. There is an assurance that the problems with sleep in childhood lead to very serious problems in future adult life. It is crucial for parents to know that and protect their children from harmful influence of television and computer.
Reference List
Dworak, M. Schierl, T. Bruns, T. Z& Strüder, H. K. (2007). “Impact of Singular Excessive Computer Game and Television Exposure on Sleep Patterns and Memory Performance of School-aged Children”. Pediatrics. Vol. 120, no 5, pp. 978-985.