For most people, the television is hard to avoid. It’s our source for news, entertainment and more.

According to a Nielson study done in 2017, the average U.S. consumer spends four hours a day watching TV. That’s about 28 hours a week.

“I watch TV about five hours a day, and sometimes it takes a toll on me,” said Lache Barnfield, a junior.

Watching television for too long can have bad effects. However, it can also have good effects as well such as enhancing learning skills and recognizing emotions.

Some negative effects on television include eye damage, obesity, antisocial behavior and diabetes. 

In some cases, parents set up parental controls on their children’s televisions to make sure they don’t spend too much time watching TV. Samsung is one brand that offers parental controls on their televisions.

It’s not just TV that people watch for hours a day. It’s also things like YouTube, Netflix and Hulu. These all have the same effects as television.

According to The Telegraph, a healthy amount of TV to watch a day is about two hours. That’s half the average time American’s watch TV now.

It’s also thought that people who watch violent shows or movies on TV are more likely to become a criminal. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, extensive viewing of violence on television causes children to become more aggressive. The effects may show immediately or appear later in life. It’s recommended to be careful with what your children watch.

Television has many pros and many cons. It’s just important to make sure you don’t spend too long watching TV and be careful with what you let your young ones watch.