Late Night TV Or Computer Sessions Tied To Depression

Numerous studies have been conducted to prove a direct correlation between late night TV/computer sessions and depression. Scientists have warned that viewing too much of TV can cause depression. The U.S. Department of Defense recently funded a study conducted by the neuroscientists from the Ohio State University Medical Center to understand the repercussions of exposure to artificial lights at night, on human beings.

The study was led by T A Bedrosian and his fellow neuroscientists and subsequently published in a journal known as ‘Molecular Psychiatry’.

The study confirms the increased risk of depression in human beings on exposure to artificial dim light or artificial light at night (LAN). For the study, hamsters were subjected to artificial dim light for a period of four weeks (which is comparable to watching a television screen in a dark room) and the reaction on their brains was studied. The results were compared to a control group which was exposed to a normal day-night cycle. It was observed that chronic dim light at night causes reversible depression-type phenotype. The exposed hamsters were found to be less active and showed lower interest in drinking sugar water. Both of these symptoms are comparable to the signs of depression in human beings.

The study found that this specific condition can be reversed by avoiding excess exposure to dim light at night. The study found that the effects of artificial dim light at night are more pronounced in women and the exposure can trigger the risk of breast cancer, mood swings, and obesity in women.

The study is based on the fact that the prevalence of depression in the society has increased many-fold in the last couple of decades due to the changes in the environmental factors and our life styles. Artificial night light triggers depression-like symptoms such as lower hippocampal expression of the neurotropic factor gene, enhanced gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and lower dendritic spine density.

Tumor necrosis factor is a chemical messenger that becomes active when the body is either injured or infected and is responsible for causing inflammation to repair the damage done to the body. Studies have shown a strong linkage between chronic inflammation and depression. The brain activity of the exposed hamsters seemed to be similar to the brain activity of the people suffering from depression.

It was also found that the effects of the exposure to dim light at night could be blocked by a drug which prevented the expression of depression-like symptoms, though not in totality. The exposed hamsters still showed a reduced density of dendritic spine hair-like growths on the brains cells for sending chemical messages.

The researchers have found that the overall symptoms of exposure to artificial dim light at night are completely reversible. When the exposed hamsters were subjected to the normal day-night cycle, the TNF levels as well as the density of the dendritic spines returned to their normal levels.

A careful analysis of people who suffer from depression will reveal that most of them are big-time television watchers. A study conducted by the Harvard University has found that the inactivity of brain can result in the expression of a range of emotional and physical symptoms associated with depression.

On the contrary, it has been found that exercising has a positive impact on the human body and is known to boost self-esteem and a sense of control. As per the study, it was found that women who were exercising regularly were less likely to suffer from depression when compared with women who rarely exercised. Physical activity has an indirect correlation with depression levels. The study found that women who exercised for 90 minutes or more each day were 20 percent less likely to develop symptoms of depression. Women who spent more than three hours a day on watching television were 13 percent more likely to develop symptoms of depression.

Another study was conducted recently to analyze the impact of television on teenagers. A group of adolescents were selected and none of them showed any symptoms of depression at the start of the study. However, when the same group of people were analyzed after seven years (at the age of 21), seven percent of them had already developed signs of depression. The depressed people were watching more television than their counterparts, who did not show any signs of depression. The study found that every extra hour of TV was directly linked with an 8% greater risk of depression. It was found that younger men were at a higher risk of depression than younger women even if they watched the same amount of television.

The study proposed that parents should be on the lookout for early warning signals of depression in the children. They should be concerned if their teen turns down invitations to be with other kids, preferring instead to watch TV or play games on the computer. Watching too much of television or spending too much time on computers is bound to create psychological difficulties for the children as they will have poorer relationship with their parents, friends, and peers.

Internet addiction and depression

The psychologists in UK have found a strong linkage between internet addiction and depression. Heavy internet usage leads to a compulsive internet habit which eventually replaces the social interaction of the individual with online chatting and social networking through websites. There is no doubt that internet usage has made our lives easy in terms of paying bills, shopping, and sending emails. But, there is a large percentage of the population that becomes addicted to the internet and has no control of the time they spend surfing. The addiction reaches a point where it starts to interfere in their day-to-day activities. The study also found internet addicts to be emotionally distressed.

To avoid any harmful side effects of exposure to television and computers, parents should try to limit the total electronic time of their children to less than 2 hours per day. Good habits such as exercising and creating a healthy social life should be encouraged to overcome the harmful effects of becoming addicted to television or computers.