REAL LIFE NEWS: SEE, I TOLD YOU TV WAS BAD FOR YOU!
by Hazed
Parents, educators and other concerned busy-bodies have long suspected that watching television is bad for you. When I was a child the worry was that the flickering screens would damage your eyes – for that reason we were always told not to sit too close to the telly.
Later generations had to put up with studies claiming the content would make children stupid, or turn them into raging psychopaths.
Now we discover that the danger is a physical one. A new study shows that more than 17,000 children are treated each year for injuries related to televisions. That’s a massive increase – roughly double the number of injuries seen 20 years ago.
The reason? TVs have got too skinny, so they tip over and fall onto kids!
The study’s authors, Ana C. De Roo, Thiphalak Chounthirath and Gary A. Smith, say: “Lighter weights coupled with a less bulky design may make flat panels more easily tipped than CRTs (cathode ray tube) and may be contributing to the observed increase in the rate of injuries associated with falling TVs.”
They call for public education on the issue, as well as requesting a redesign to make thin TVs more stable.
And, of course, just like all scientists eager to ensure the grant money keeps rolling in, they say that additional studies are needed.
Source: http://io9.com/televisions-are-sending-thousands-of-kids-to-the-e-r-e-879886416
