Watching tv when growing up and autism

There is some contentious stuff out there about high levels of tv watching increasing the chances of a child becoming autistic. What if however children with autism/autism traits are more likely anyway to watch tv. I don't know if that is true, I'm just throwing it out there for debate.
Possibly more time stuck in front of the box would mean less time engaged in imaginative play.
I was a toddler in the late 50s/early 60s and apparently watched a lot of television. Nowadays a toddler watching lots of tv or videos would not be that unusual, but I'm not sure it was the case back in the late 50s/early 60s .

Parents
  • Watching too much TV makes people stupid, not autistic.

    If watching TV made kids autistic, then, in this age when parents use the TV as a babysitter, there would be so many more autistic kids now than decades ago when TVs were not so commonplace.

    If that theory were true, then, presumably, keeping an autistic kid away from the TV would cure them.

  • I think that not watching TV has the potential to inhibit social development in children.

    There is some anecdotal evidence that back in the 1980, and 90s, children from families which had books and toys but no TV were better behaved and better when it came to academic knowledge but they were out of sync socially with their peer group and had a poorer sense of fashion. They were basically uncool.

  • I'd have to disagree with that evidence. As you stated it's anecdotal but I'd go as far as to say it's cynical. It seems to be taken from a viewpoint of someone who sees the study group as consumers. "Out of sync socially" probably means that they aren't consuming and seeing the world from the way the media would desire. "A poorer sense of fashion" is subjective and fashion trends are only set to increase consumption. They are superficial and easily manipulated standards, not practical social skills. Those standards only existed after the intergration of mass media into the mainstream of society. Being uncool isn't a developmental disorder. It's a subjective opinion of the way someone is percieved. I've seen the "coolest" person in one group of society not be able to adjust to another groups norms. Which made them "uncool". People just are who they are.

  • All people are different though. In my experience parents just want their kids ASD or not to have good friends, not be the most popular kid in school. Even as an adult, nobody is going to be totally popular. Maybe the kid or adult doesn't want to enjoy the social side of anything. Social skills are something even "neurotypicals" struggle with. I've been to school and work with people who are total dicks. Being ASD may mean that people struggle with certain aspects of social situations but I think you hold the negative view of this. ASD isn't a social death sentence. We are on a spectrum too. Some struggle more than others. ASD individuals can learn to have social skills but they don't have a place for dicks to learn social skills. You can be socially awkward but real friends will like you.

  • I think it really depends on the peer group and the parents. I wouldn't generalise myself but I do get your point. Again though this is more of a percieved misconception than an actuality. Forcing a kid to be popular can do more harm than good, it's better to let themselves be themselves in my opinion. What's better to have a few good friends or even none at all, than to be thrust into having to conform to a bunch of people that are total twats, or a waste of time?

    The problem is that a high proportion of parents want their children to assimilate and fit in with whoever is in the local school. I remember reading a friend's statement of SEN where it mentioned numerous times about relationships with his peer group but nothing about social skills for life as an adult. IMO there are far too many parents who think that getting the social skills right for a teenager or at school systematically results in getting social skills right as an adult. I think the situation is more acute amongst parents who enjoyed the social side of school regardless of their academic ability. There have been discussions amongst home educating parents about potential damage that can be caused by forcing children to be popular at school.

  • I think it really depends on the peer group and the parents. I wouldn't generalise myself but I do get your point. Again though this is more of a percieved misconception than an actuality. Forcing a kid to be popular can do more harm than good, it's better to let themselves be themselves in my opinion. What's better to have a few good friends or even none at all, than to be thrust into having to conform to a bunch of people that are total twats, or a waste of time?

    Lol, yeah most stuff on TV is total tripe. I barely watch anything with a narrative. A few shows the BBC have made over the last few years have been good McMafia was the last thing I found OK. It was pretty realistic. Black economy and legit banking working hand in hand. Most real "gangsters" don't sell cocaine. They work from offices in the square mile but I digress. I think nowadays that people have more avenues to express social interaction. It's more OK to be who you are. If you have a specific interest that would absolutely bore the life out of one person, there's another person who would love you for persuing that interest. I speak to some of my friends kids and they have interests that would have been bully fodder in my day but they get along fine. One of my friends kids is ASD and he's obsessed with 80's action and sci-fi but he seems to be getting on fine. These parents who think like that need to realise that common interests are a good way for kids to fit into a comfortable place in the world. Some things that aren't popular now can be all the rage in a year or two. Look at comic nerds (I was one growing up!). 20 years ago comics were a niche thing but now everyone wants to know more. I loved Kung-fu films as a kid but no-one watched them. By the time I was 14 everyone watched them. They need to let the kids be themselves and they will find that peer group thats good for them. In an ideal world that would happen but I think things will get there eventually.

    I think that politics should never dictate art. If the politics are coming from the artist that's fine but if it's being guided by an outside entity it becomes ideological. TV is a medium for art. I think that's the reason so much stuff is becoming independent or web based. People are tired of forced agenda in art mediums. A well presented narrative that presents the intent of the project is far more intetesting.

    I totally get what you mean but I guess it depends on the place in the spectrum some people are. Also on the individual. Sometimes a natural progression can be the way to go. There would be pitfalls but some people would learn more in an unforced environment. There are a lack of facilities for the kids that do need it though. There are a lack of facilities and services in general for all ASD people.

Reply
  • I think it really depends on the peer group and the parents. I wouldn't generalise myself but I do get your point. Again though this is more of a percieved misconception than an actuality. Forcing a kid to be popular can do more harm than good, it's better to let themselves be themselves in my opinion. What's better to have a few good friends or even none at all, than to be thrust into having to conform to a bunch of people that are total twats, or a waste of time?

    Lol, yeah most stuff on TV is total tripe. I barely watch anything with a narrative. A few shows the BBC have made over the last few years have been good McMafia was the last thing I found OK. It was pretty realistic. Black economy and legit banking working hand in hand. Most real "gangsters" don't sell cocaine. They work from offices in the square mile but I digress. I think nowadays that people have more avenues to express social interaction. It's more OK to be who you are. If you have a specific interest that would absolutely bore the life out of one person, there's another person who would love you for persuing that interest. I speak to some of my friends kids and they have interests that would have been bully fodder in my day but they get along fine. One of my friends kids is ASD and he's obsessed with 80's action and sci-fi but he seems to be getting on fine. These parents who think like that need to realise that common interests are a good way for kids to fit into a comfortable place in the world. Some things that aren't popular now can be all the rage in a year or two. Look at comic nerds (I was one growing up!). 20 years ago comics were a niche thing but now everyone wants to know more. I loved Kung-fu films as a kid but no-one watched them. By the time I was 14 everyone watched them. They need to let the kids be themselves and they will find that peer group thats good for them. In an ideal world that would happen but I think things will get there eventually.

    I think that politics should never dictate art. If the politics are coming from the artist that's fine but if it's being guided by an outside entity it becomes ideological. TV is a medium for art. I think that's the reason so much stuff is becoming independent or web based. People are tired of forced agenda in art mediums. A well presented narrative that presents the intent of the project is far more intetesting.

    I totally get what you mean but I guess it depends on the place in the spectrum some people are. Also on the individual. Sometimes a natural progression can be the way to go. There would be pitfalls but some people would learn more in an unforced environment. There are a lack of facilities for the kids that do need it though. There are a lack of facilities and services in general for all ASD people.

Children
  • All people are different though. In my experience parents just want their kids ASD or not to have good friends, not be the most popular kid in school. Even as an adult, nobody is going to be totally popular. Maybe the kid or adult doesn't want to enjoy the social side of anything. Social skills are something even "neurotypicals" struggle with. I've been to school and work with people who are total dicks. Being ASD may mean that people struggle with certain aspects of social situations but I think you hold the negative view of this. ASD isn't a social death sentence. We are on a spectrum too. Some struggle more than others. ASD individuals can learn to have social skills but they don't have a place for dicks to learn social skills. You can be socially awkward but real friends will like you.

  • I think it really depends on the peer group and the parents. I wouldn't generalise myself but I do get your point. Again though this is more of a percieved misconception than an actuality. Forcing a kid to be popular can do more harm than good, it's better to let themselves be themselves in my opinion. What's better to have a few good friends or even none at all, than to be thrust into having to conform to a bunch of people that are total twats, or a waste of time?

    The problem is that a high proportion of parents want their children to assimilate and fit in with whoever is in the local school. I remember reading a friend's statement of SEN where it mentioned numerous times about relationships with his peer group but nothing about social skills for life as an adult. IMO there are far too many parents who think that getting the social skills right for a teenager or at school systematically results in getting social skills right as an adult. I think the situation is more acute amongst parents who enjoyed the social side of school regardless of their academic ability. There have been discussions amongst home educating parents about potential damage that can be caused by forcing children to be popular at school.