Generic Hydrocodone Lortab
September 14, 2011 
13 Comments
SpongeBob and ADHD?
Did you hear this yet?
A recent study published in the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab journal Pediatrics, suggests that kids around 4 years of age demonstrated decreased attention levels after watching only nine minutes of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab favored Nickelodeon show SpongeBob Squarepants.
Two groups were tested, one watched SpongeBob Squarepants and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the other watched what the journal is reporting as a “slower paced” show called Caillou…
I’m familiar with both shows. I’m just not certain what the media outlets and / or the study is referring to as a “slower-paced” show versus the alternative of what? A more hyperactive show – featuring an Generic Hydrocodone Lortab energetic, flighty SpongeBob who is all over the place? (NOTE: Sarcasm intended here).
But seriously…this has Generic Hydrocodone Lortab generated quite a bit of news attention and talks children and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab attention issues.
Noted in the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab research, these children were not reported to have any identified attention problems like ADD / ADHD. It was also a small sample size (red flag), and the show is intended for 6-11 year olds.
These are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the points being argued, debated, and presented by the mainstream media, research scientists, and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab of course the creators and distributors of the show. Oh, and let’s not forget that the American Academy of Pediatrics says “No television for children under two years of age,” and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab other groups are saying that we should focus on quality of television and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab NOT quantity.
Well DUH!!!
Oh the issues I want to tear apart here and rant on…
#1. My readers know how I feel about research. It has it’s place, but typically there are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab flaws and limitations that while they might get mentioned (in small print) don’t lead the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab newscasts or the water-cooler talk on Twitter and Facebook. For instance, this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab story probably already has legs because it involves SpongeBob, television, our children, and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab attention questions.
The reality is, and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab mentioned, that this study involves a very small sample. And worse off, it’s reportedly a sample of all middle to upper class white kids. Where’s the diversity? There was also no-pretest measuring intelligence or attention span.
The researchers claim, as mentioned above, there were no Generic Hydrocodone Lortab identified attention problems in these children. BUT, we all know how misunderstood ADD / ADHD is.
#2 The issue of Quality vs. Quantity. I like that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab this is emphasized, but seriously, are we to be surprised that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab children are watching more and more television at a time when Generic Hydrocodone Lortab life is busier and busier on parents…just to get by and survive? Think about it… In a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab lot of families, two parents are out of the house working just to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab go by. Kids (older brothers and sisters) have more and more homework and even more extracurricular activities.
This now doesn’t involve or Generic Hydrocodone Lortab consider the current state of our society given how stressed out parents might be Generic Hydrocodone Lortab that they are possibly about to lose their jobs or might already out of work.
Ok…let’s not hit that panic button here quite yet. And I might be guilty of inciting some panic by stirring the pot.
But the issue of quantity verus quality is HUGE. Are we as parents / adults paying attention ourselves to what our kids are watching? And what Generic Hydrocodone Lortab about the commercials that are targeting a certain demographic between SpongeBob aged-kids and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab Calliou aged kids?
Me Personally?
I’ve said my peace… I think research nowadays makes headlines because the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab news likes a juicy story. We are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab still struggling as a community to understand what causes ADHD, what Generic Hydrocodone Lortab contributes to ADHD, and to what makes an individual’s symptoms worse.
So does SpongeBob cause ADD / ADHD? Doubtful. And that’s NOT what the research is suggesting. (Me either). What is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab pointing out however, is that attention spans are being affected by current trends in society. And because we do a poor job diagnosing and identifying ADD / ADHD from other conditions…we have to be more alert of what is going on.
And more than ever, we need to be stronger advocates for our children. Information like this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab falling into the wrong hands can cause even more frustration, singling out, and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab fingers being pointed at our children (or even us as parents).
Now It’s Your Turn…
What do you think? Let us know your reaction in the comments.
Thanks for your thoughtful article.
For the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab record, I have a 6 year old son who has Generic Hydrocodone Lortab been diagnosed with ADHD. He is extremely hyperactive and impulsive, but doesn’t seem to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab struggle so much with focus problems. He is often difficult to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab live in the same house with, although he is a bright (VERY bright), sweet, loving child. At school, he seems to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab be finally turning a corner in first grade because he’s having almost no Generic Hydrocodone Lortab behavior problems that the teacher finds worth reporting to me. (This is amazing. He has always had behavior problems in school.) He is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab in the gifted program, having tested straight 99th percentiles in both the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab verbal and mathematical portions of the ITBS last spring. He fears little and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab believes that the world is his oyster. And this boy loves everyone he meets; he does not discriminate based on age, physical features or Generic Hydrocodone Lortab gender. He amazes me and he makes me nuts.
He has Generic Hydrocodone Lortab never seen a single episode of SpongeBob. He has seen less than Generic Hydrocodone Lortab a handful of Calliou episodes. I despise them both.
Yes, we watch some TV, though not nearly as much as he’d like. (I’m in charge here.) I don’t choose programs based on “pace”; I choose them based on the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab values on which they are based and whether there might be Generic Hydrocodone Lortab any educational opportunities… with an Generic Hydrocodone Lortab occasional episode of the original Batman series thrown in. (Hubby is also in charge, you know.)
Surely it’s not TV. BUT WHETHER OR NOT IT IS, parents must make good choices about any media that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab our children are exposed to.
Really….spongebob!!!! The cause of adhd for Generic Hydrocodone Lortab my daughter ,whom we adopted at birth, is the fact that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the birthmother did drugs and alcohol while Sarah was developing in her uterus! Sarah tested positive for Generic Hydrocodone Lortab cocaine at birth. Her apgar at 1 min was 3 and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab at nine minutes 9. Yes Sarah was diagnosed with adhd but i am Generic Hydrocodone Lortab starting to believe that just about every child has it! We have Generic Hydrocodone Lortab taken Sarah OFF ALL ADHD MEDICATIONS. We had 15 neurofeedback sessions, give her a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab supplement called Attention and pray!
Well my son did not look at television much and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab he did not look at sponge bob, I noticed he was hyper and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab not focusing at 19 months. Whem will people believe that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab this is real and not something that is made up.
I have Generic Hydrocodone Lortab spent the last ten minutes trying to come up with a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab comment that was meaningful and intelligent. I can’t do it. I find this study to be a joke.
It would be Generic Hydrocodone Lortab nice to pin all the causes and issues associated with ADHD on a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab cartoon character. It’s just not that easy.
And one other thing: letting your Generic Hydrocodone Lortab kids watch cartoons does not make you a bad mom or Generic Hydrocodone Lortab dad. So just let go of that misguided guilt!
Hmm. I didn’t read this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab as about Sponge Bob Square pants per se but about the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab “hyperactivity” of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab show. In other words, how fast the images are projected at viewers. This is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab not the first time, researchers (in far better designed studies than this one) have Generic Hydrocodone Lortab looked at image speed and deduced that for some shows and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab some video games, the speed of images and flashing lights are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab so rapid as to cause attention and processing “challenges.” Even what’s known as photo-sensitive epilepsy in some children.
So I wouldn’t be Generic Hydrocodone Lortab so quick to throw out the over-riding hypothesis of this study.
While Rory pointed out some very major issues with this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab study, I would like to point out some additional aspects of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab study that the media completely ignored (and have a tendency to do, for likely a variety of reasons).
The study actually had Generic Hydrocodone Lortab 3 groups: fast-paced television, educational television, or drawing (no television). The latter is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the control group. Children were randomly assigned based on pulling a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab number out of a bag. While there are more professional ways to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab handle randomization, including statistical methods, the method used in the study works for Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the quality of the study. As was pointed out, the sample size was quite low.
Keep in mind that the study never actually mentions “SpongeBob” or “Caillou” by name. This is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab what is assumed by the media outlets, and while the description of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab television programs used are consistent with these two programs, it is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab still speculation.
Children watched 9 minutes of an Generic Hydrocodone Lortab 11-minute television program on a notebook. I’m sure you can see a few things wrong with all that.
A bunch of tests were administered, grouped into two categories: executive functioning (attention, memory, and problem solving tasks) or delayed gratification.
Now here is where it gets interesting…the researchers stated “…the fast-paced television group did significantly worse on the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab EF composite than the drawing group…” EF refers to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the tests of executive functioning. They go on to explain “The difference between the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab fast-paced and the educational television groups approached significance…”
Approached significance? What does that mean? It means it wasn’t significant. It means it Generic Hydrocodone Lortab was close, but no cigar. In medical and other scientific research, we are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab usually concerned with whether something is or isn’t significant. And even if it Generic Hydrocodone Lortab is significant, the results may not generalize outside of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab lab to real world situations. Do you think the FDA would approve a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab drug for cancer that was demonstrated to be almost effective compared to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab a placebo, but not quite? Yea, exactly.
Wait, it gets better…the researchers go on later in their report to claim “Children in the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab fast-paced television group scored significantly worse than the others despite being equal in attention at the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab outset, as indicated by parent report.” Um, no, you Generic Hydrocodone Lortab said earlier it approached significance, not that it was significant. They are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab contradicting themselves.
They further claim, “This result is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab consistent with others showing long-term negative associations between entertainment television and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab attention.” Again, no. Those studies looked at long-term associations. The researchers in this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab study looked at immediate results. They provided no results for what Generic Hydrocodone Lortab happens after 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour later after watching these programs. If the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab children perform within normal limits after 15 minutes, then does the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab immediate effect actually matter in real world scenarios?
There are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab some other issues, already reported within this blog and elsewhere I won’t get into. The points above, though, are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab those generally ignored by the media.
In the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab end, the only thing we can deduce from this study is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab something my cousin, a neuropsychologist, told me “Don’t let a 4-year-old cram for an exam right after watching SpongeBob!”
I am an adult recently diagnosed with ADHD, and I am appalled – but not surprised – at the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab way the lazy and inaccurate way the American commercial media covered that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab story, “Watching Spongebob Causes ADD/ADHD!”
I LOVE watching Spongebob Squarepants! It’s a great show, and it’s brilliantly written. Knowing that I watch “Sponge” and that I struggle with my ADHD, my cousin – who is a “big sister” to me and extremely intelligent – called me yesterday and was dead serious in telling me, “Hey, did you hear? Watching Spongebob causes ADHD! Maybe that’s what’s causing your ADHD? Maybe you shouldn’t watch it anymore?” When I said it sounded like rubbish to me, she insisted, “No, I don’t think it Generic Hydrocodone Lortab is because it was on all the big national newscasts, so that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab means it must be pretty important, otherwise they wouldn’t report it.” At that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab point, I knew she had been duped like so many other smart people, so I gave it Generic Hydrocodone Lortab one more object, but she insisted, “I think maybe you Generic Hydrocodone Lortab ought to check this Spongebob thing out because it is all over the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab news and they all said this research found that Spongebob causes ADHD.You might feel better if you Generic Hydrocodone Lortab stopped watching it. The news said that kids who watched Spongebob flunked tests after watching it Generic Hydrocodone Lortab for only after a few minutes, but kids who watched a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab slower-paced show passed. It sounds like watching stuff like Spongebob might not be Generic Hydrocodone Lortab good for you because you have ADHD.” At that point I thanked her telling me, and I’d give it some thought (NOT!), and then I changed the subject. I know my cousin was very well intentioned. She’s a lovely person, and there’s not a mean bone in her body. What got me was that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab she genuinely believed this story because it was “all over the news,” and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab was truly trying to help me deal with something she knows is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab hard for me (the ADHD). There was no Generic Hydrocodone Lortab telling her anything different, because she heard this report on the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab news!! She would not listen to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab my objections to the story, and I knew what I was talking about.
There’s one thing that I didn’t mention this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab at the top of my post, but I am a science reporter for Generic Hydrocodone Lortab Voice of America. Granted, until a few months ago, I was a sportscaster, but STILL! I’ve learned much in that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab short amount of time since I was reassigned to this science gig. I see the Eurekalert website gaggle of studies every day. I told my cousin that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the commercial media often distorts reports because they have to get ratings and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab please paying sponsors, so I would check out the actual study and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab tell her the real science – if there is any. I warned her that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the study probably does not make the conclusion she saw on the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab national news. I was a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab bit gratified when I check out the study this morning. The national news shows were WRONG!
I agree with the review of the study on this website – there are a lot of issues with this research -AND – it says NOTHING about Spongebob causing ADHD! I;m going to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab send a copy of the pediatrics outline and the Eurekalert release to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab my cousin with a copy of a hyped news story so she can Generic Hydrocodone Lortab see what a load of old bollocks she was “fed” by the TV networks. I also will recommend that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab she START watching Spongebob, and STOP watching CNN, or whatever the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab heck it was she polluted her mind with. Then she can Generic Hydrocodone Lortab understand that many news organizations hate to ruin a good story with facts. And NO, I didn’t cover this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab story at VOA, I have been writing about some really cool fish fossils this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab week.
As a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab grown-up struggling with ADHD, a science journalist, and a Spongebob fan, I want to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab say I am disgusted at the “slow news day” and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab inaccurate national reporting on this story. There is no excuse for Generic Hydrocodone Lortab this type of sensationalizing at a serious news reporting outfit.
The study may have Generic Hydrocodone Lortab actual merit, if nothing else for the researchers, but since I’m not a scientist, I don’t know for certain. From reading the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab study outline on Pediatrics and the Eurekalert UVA press release, I agree with the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab writer of the above opinion piece, the study seems pretty small and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab short-ranging. I don’t have Generic Hydrocodone Lortab kids, but I should think that it is up to the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab parents to decide what their 4-year-old does and doesn’t do – like watch a TV show intended for much older viewers.
As for Generic Hydrocodone Lortab me, when I get home from work today, I fully intend to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab watch Spongebob — but only I take a double dose of my ADHD medicine! (kidding!)
Thanks for giving me space to express how I feel. Back to fish fossils and heliophysics!
I’m 59 years old and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab was in special learning classes at school age because for most classes I was just a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab day dreamer as thay called it then. It wasn’t until 5th and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab 6th grades that I started to perform but I was keep in special education (as they changed the name) all through my schooling. When I was able to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab watch TV, I was only allowed to watch two half hour shows a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab day, which were mostly cartoons (Disney back then and only certain 3 Stooges episodes). After I watched 3 Stooges I was told that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab I had began to act in violent ways for a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab few days and I remember being reprimanded many times. I do believe that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab many of the kids shows on today do have an Generic Hydrocodone Lortab effect on the children and parents DO need to CHECK on the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab shows they watch and limit the viewing time. These days I still do not watch much television because most of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab shows have violence and I am not comfortable watching since I can Generic Hydrocodone Lortab look outside or just walk or drive a short distance and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab find all you would want on our country’s streets and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab sidewalks these days. Television should bring back the older shows like Lawrence Welk, Walton’s, Little House on the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab Prairie anso on. Those were the shows that I could watch extra if I could control myself. But looking back, I think those shows were mighty good and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab would be good for most families even these days. They taught value and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab morals. Which we can sure use more of in this Generic Hydrocodone Lortab country today.
i think that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab this is probably true, but its such a small problem, and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab there are so many other things that cause ADHD and ADD.
such as-
cocaine abuse during pregnancy
genetics
family issues
tramatic experiences
there are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab so many things that people should worry about fixing first.they should worry about all the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab pregnant mothers who are addicted to crack and cocaine and stop worrying about wether or Generic Hydrocodone Lortab not spongebob is effecting a small population of 4 yr olds ability of concentrating. JEEZ!
Hi Rory, I’m trying to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab track you down and ran into this, great stuff. Please e-mail me, I look forward to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab yor contact. Nina Tischer, used to work with you.
Teresa, I too am an adult, diagnosed with ADHD in 2011.
Actually I think that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab the tangentiality and wit of Spongebob flows in a way that Generic Hydrocodone Lortab is very native to the thinking style that is native to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab us ADDers.
You have to pay close attention to that show – over multiple episodes to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab grasp it all. It is not dissimilar to the best of the Generic Hydrocodone Lortab old Looney Tunes.
It really takes a Generic Hydrocodone Lortab very one- dimensional assessment of the show not to see that.
We all live in situations where Generic Hydrocodone Lortab at times rapid fire changes of subject and frame are expected in day to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab day functioning and other times when a slower, more thorough style of attention is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab required.
You are Generic Hydrocodone Lortab quite right that the journalism around this research was pretty sloppy ( maybe the journalists had an attention problem.
I have not actually seen the research (can you point me to it?)but I do get to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab read a lot of research in my profession. Faulty reasoning and Generic Hydrocodone Lortab overly ambitious conclusions are very common in medical research. We all need to Generic Hydrocodone Lortab be more cautious than we usually are in terms of what Generic Hydrocodone Lortab we accept as “fact”.
I should say “diagnosed in 2008″- sloppy proof reading is Generic Hydrocodone Lortab not always a sign of ADHD- but it is not uncommon.
It is really sad when “scientists” conduct such poorly designed studies claiming to find the causes of ADHD. It is even more pitiful when the news media pick up the “story” and lay people buy into it.
As Caroline has Generic Hydrocodone Lortab pointed out not all people with ADHD have identical symptoms–and many, like her son, are VERY bright.
Most people with ADHD can Generic Hydrocodone Lortab have help for their symptoms and then lead happy and successful lives. I know, because I have!