Excessive Daily TV at Older Age Tied to Poorer Memory

A study of older adults published in Scientific Reports found those who spent at least 3.5 hours per day watching TV experienced a greater decline in verbal memory, reports Medical News Today . Analysis of 3,662 adults age 50 and older determined those who watched TV for 3.5 hours or more per day had an average decline of 8 percent to 10 percent in word- and language-related memory over the six-year study period. Those who watched fewer hours of TV per day had a 4 percent to 5 percent average decline. "Much less attention has been paid to the effects of television viewing at the other end of the lifespan, despite it being hypothesized for over 25 years that watching excessive television could contribute to the development of dementia," noted University College London's Daisy Fancourt. The researchers suggest watching TV could affect verbal memory through "cognitive stress," which might come with the alert-passive nature of TV viewing, combined with the psychological effects of witnessing violent, suspenseful, and graphic scenes. Alternatively, the more time people spend watching TV, the less opportunity they have to engage in "cognitively beneficial activities" like reading and cultural pursuits.