text: What are the harmful aspects of TV ? \n\nTV displaces active types of recreation:\nIt decreases time spent playing with peers. A child has less time for self-directed daydreaming and thinking. It takes away time for participating in sports, music, art, or other activities that require practice to achieve competence. \n\nTV interferes with conversation and discussion time:\nIt reduces social interactions with family and friends. \n\nTV discourages reading: \nReading requires much more thinking than television. Reading improves a youngster's vocabulary. A decrease in reading scores may be related to too much time in front of the TV. \n\nHeavy TV viewing (more than 4 hours a day) definitely reduces school performance: \nThis much TV interferes with study, reading, and thinking time. If children do not get enough sleep because they are watching TV, they will not be alert enough to learn well on the following day. \n\nTV discourages exercise:\nAn inactive life-style leads to poor physical fitness. If accompanied by frequent snacking, watching TV may contribute to weight problems. \n\nTV advertising encourages a demand for material possessions: \nYoung children will pressure their parents to buy the toys they see advertised. TV portrays materialism as the "American way." \n\nTV violence can affect how a child feels toward life and other people:\nViewing excessive violence may cause a child to be overly fearful about personal safety and the future. TV violence may numb the sympathy a child normally feels toward victims of human suffering. Young children may be more aggressive in their play after seeing violent television shows. While TV violence does not increase aggressive behavior toward people in most children, it may do so in disturbed or impulsive children.