When I claim that television and the computer narrow the mind, I mean it causes the brain to become narrowly focused visually (the highest of the senses). A person that watches too much TV and/or computer screen eventually gets such a tunnel vision that they cognitively lose touch with everything that isn't on the screen. The screen is small compared to the entire field of vision. The issue here is how the eyes are used, and if a person gets into the habit of only focusing on a small area of vision, this behavior becomes a habit, and this narrows the ability of visual information to flow into the mind.
The key to avoiding the mind-narrowing affects of starring at a screen is to try to be as conscious as possible of the things going on around the screen as well. In other words, cognitively become more aware of your peripheral vision. This is so important because the eyes are the highest of the senses (the patterns they give to the brain are the most complex mathematically). If we ignore the information that comes from our peripheral senses, they get "out of shape" like a muscle, and the brain doesn't continue to expand its development in these areas (which is why it is unhealthy for children to sit and watch TV for long periods of time, it harms their development). To focus on all of the information that our eyes give us requires more effort and In other words, when it comes down to the brain's use of the eyes "use it or lose it" or tunnel vision both cognitively and physically will come about (peripheral vision will still exist, but the brain will be in the habit of ignoring it more and more for chronic screen viewers).
Being that television flips from scene to scene or from scene to commercial etc. it is not conducive of the development of a long attention span. The attension span is like a muscle in that it needs to be practiced if it is to develop properly. This I believe is the underlying cause for the rise in ADD and ADHD.
The key to avoiding the mind-narrowing affects of starring at a screen is to try to be as conscious as possible of the things going on around the screen as well. In other words, cognitively become more aware of your peripheral vision. This is so important because the eyes are the highest of the senses (the patterns they give to the brain are the most complex mathematically). If we ignore the information that comes from our peripheral senses, they get "out of shape" like a muscle, and the brain doesn't continue to expand its development in these areas (which is why it is unhealthy for children to sit and watch TV for long periods of time, it harms their development). To focus on all of the information that our eyes give us requires more effort and In other words, when it comes down to the brain's use of the eyes "use it or lose it" or tunnel vision both cognitively and physically will come about (peripheral vision will still exist, but the brain will be in the habit of ignoring it more and more for chronic screen viewers).
Being that television flips from scene to scene or from scene to commercial etc. it is not conducive of the development of a long attention span. The attension span is like a muscle in that it needs to be practiced if it is to develop properly. This I believe is the underlying cause for the rise in ADD and ADHD.
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