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TV: Not Just A Baby Sitter, But Baby Anesthetic As Well

from the pain-makes-me-miss-the-story dept

Mon, Aug 21st 2006 2:11am — Mike Masnick

Everyone's heard the old adage about TV being the best baby sitter for kids, but Engadget is pointing us to the news that it may also be something of a painkiller for kids. Basically, the researchers drew blood from a bunch of kids in various situations -- and discovered that those who were watching TV found it less painful. Of course, this may not be all that surprising. Kids can get very involved in what they're watching, so they may not notice other things going on around them. At the same time, it's not uncommon for kids who get hurt slightly to complain loudly, but stop as soon as something else interesting comes along. Combine those two things, and it probably makes sense that the kids don't feel as much pain. Of course, the researcher in charge of the study seems to think this is a problem demonstrating "the excessive power of television," but it seems just as likely to have explained the excessive reaction kids have on getting hurt with nothing else around to distract them.

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JJ, 21 Aug 2006 @ 3:05am

yeah, but...
Yeah, but does it work for adults too? Will hospitals start installing additional TVs for patients to watch?

Also: where's the test to see how painful it is when the kid is screaming because his mom forced him to turn off the tv in the middle of what he was watching. bet that one hurts.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2006 @ 3:15am

the article's title should read: tv - the new morphine?
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2006 @ 4:30am

I call bullshit on this one.

Does it hurt less? Thats not the right question.

The right question is did it "really" hurt to begin with.

How much pain is really involved with getting a needle and how much is psychosematic?

When I was a little kid I had asthma, used to be in an out of hospitals, was always being stuck by some type of needle. Bloodwork, allergy shots, etc.

When I got over the fear it....didn't .... HURT.

You come at a kid with a spike and sure as shit he/she is gonna have a conniption.

Distract them with something shiney and wellllllll no shit sherlock. I'll bet your dentis does the same thing when he jerks your head to the side just as he sticks you with the needle.

Takes your mind off of the needed.

So again, the study shouldn't be "did it hurt less" but "Did it really hurt at all".
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Heather Wilkinson, 21 Aug 2006 @ 4:38am

Focusing the mind elsewhere is a real and important pain-reliever for children and adults, and is similar to the techniques used in hypnosis for pain control. There was an article in Scientific American, Aug 2004, about the use of virtual reality games or environments to distract and relieve the pain of burn victims while they go through the painful process of skin-stretching which is needed for healing. The more involving the VR environment was, the less pain was experienced. One game they used was called Snow World, and you can read more at this link: http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?language=english&type=&article_id=218392308
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cancer patient, 21 Aug 2006 @ 4:52am

distraction
Anything can be a distraction. I was a child cancer patient, and us kids would sit in the waiting room discussing different ways of distracting ourselves during different tests & procedures. I always read a book- aloud for more painful procedures (try having a long needle inserted between your spine) or to myself during a simple bloodtest. Now, as an adult, I don't need a distraction. I don't know if it's because it never really hurt, or if my pain tolerance has increased. It probably was mostly fear (I'd always work myself up before any kind of procedure- once my mother and the nurse had to pry me off of a doorframe).
Any distraction helps, especially when it is something the child enjoys. There are handheld video games, magazines, books, TV... those things CAN be brought beyond the waiting room.
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cancer patient, 21 Aug 2006 @ 4:52am

distraction
Anything can be a distraction. I was a child cancer patient, and us kids would sit in the waiting room discussing different ways of distracting ourselves during different tests & procedures. I always read a book- aloud for more painful procedures (try having a long needle inserted between your spine) or to myself during a simple bloodtest. Now, as an adult, I don't need a distraction. I don't know if it's because it never really hurt, or if my pain tolerance has increased. It probably was mostly fear (I'd always work myself up before any kind of procedure- once my mother and the nurse had to pry me off of a doorframe).
Any distraction helps, especially when it is something the child enjoys. There are handheld video games, magazines, books, TV... those things CAN be brought beyond the waiting room.
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dorpus, 21 Aug 2006 @ 4:54am

Re:
Yup, I used to walk by the pediatric cancer ward every day when I went to class at Michigan. It will be very interesting to know about more effective pain management techniques when those kids are getting injected through the skull with chemo drips or having limbs amputated. Of course, a central challenge in such studies is an ethical one, for you had better be damn sure that a kid getting their leg sawed off while watching Power Puff Girls is going to feel less pain than another kid given fentanyl lollipops.
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NSMike, 21 Aug 2006 @ 5:37am

I know this works...
Because I've done the opposite to myself on occasion. I know that sounds wierd, but I've hurt myself before, and then thought, "Holy Crap, I just hit my finger with a hammer!" or whatever other offending injury, and when I focus on what I did to what, and what caused the initial pain, the pain becomes more intense. Losing focus and distracting myself from what caused the injury subdues (but doesn't eliminate) the pain. I'm guessing it's because your brain knows that hitting your finger with a hammer should hurt, and hurt a LOT, but when you're not considering exactly what was done, you experience a lower amount of pain, and probably something a lot closer to the actual pain you're feeling.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2006 @ 7:47am

What?
I'm sorry, what was this article about? Something good came on TV.
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Etienne, 21 Aug 2006 @ 7:48am

Sense?
This seems to me to be a matter of focus, if the only thing you can concentrate on is the pain, then of course you'll feel it more intensely. Same goes for all of the senses. If you concentrate on tasting something, you'll catch some of the flavor properties that you might not catch by just eating while watching tv.
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Rabid Wolverine, 21 Aug 2006 @ 9:53am

Re: Anonymous Coward: Doesn't hurt
Every time that anyone has ever stuck me it hurt, every time. Even my Mom and she was an RN who was probably the best person at handling a needle that ever lived...

I guess it works differently for different people, that's one of the aspects of diversity.
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phoenix, 21 Aug 2006 @ 10:05am

Psychosematic FTW!
I have been a diabetic for a little over 8 years now, and I can tell ya that when I first started giving my own shots that it did hurt, but that's because I was thinking HOLY CRAP I'm sticking something in me that doesn't belong! Now, 8 years later I have no problem or pain just jabbin it in me and goin on. Albeit the insulin goin in will sting a bit from time to time. So yeah, most of the pain a person feels either a child or adult is merely psychosematic. As long as we are dealing with normal tests and sticks. We get into things like spinal taps, chemo drips, and bone marrow tests we're talkin some real pain here.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2006 @ 1:51pm

Re: Re: Anonymous Coward: Doesn't hurt
no. everyone is the same. stupid.
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Anonymous Coward, 21 Aug 2006 @ 1:54pm

Personally, I find the crap they play on tv very painful.
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