Must-Not-See TV
Unhappy? Turn off the tube. That’s what researchers from the University of Maryland say. A recent study, compiling more than 34 years of data from 45,000 respondents, found the more TV folks watch, generally the unhappier they are. The unhappiest subjects were those who watched up to 10 hours of television every day.
Experts say TV isn’t as much a source of unhappiness as it is a catalyst for ignoring the things that do make us happy: Reading, spending time with friends, etc.
“TV is a pacifier,” says personal coach Lauren Zander. “It may be entertaining and relaxing, but when you watch TV, you’ve checked out of your life.” (New York Daily News)
C’mon, Mom, Everyone’s Doing It
If you meet a kid between the ages of 12 and 17 who claims not to play video games, just assume he’s lying. So suggests a study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which found 97 percent of kids within that age range are at least casual gamers, including 94 percent of girls and 99 percent of boys. Half of respondents said they had played a video game within the last day. (Associated Press)
Sites Promoting Eating Disorders Grow
The number of Web sites promoting anorexia and bulimia ballooned 470 percent in 2007, according to Optenet. The security vendor also found that sites with violent content grew by 125 percent, and sites trumpeting racism increased by 70 percent. (USA Today)
Of Men and Mice
Not everyone loves Mickey Mouse, but Sheikh Muhammed Munajid thinks those walking brooms from Fantasia should’ve taken the rodent out when they had the chance.
The Quran teaches that mice are unclean vermin controlled by Satan himself, according to Munajid, so the idea of an adorable, little, animated mouse becoming a beloved worldwide icon is—well, just wrong.
“Even creatures that are repulsive by nature, by logic and according to Islamic law have become wonderful and are loved by children,” Munajid says. “Mickey Mouse has become an awesome character, even though according to Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed in all cases.” (London Telegraph)
Quantum of Facebook
M16, the British foreign intelligence service (and employer of James Bond) is now recruiting agents on the British version of Facebook.
“A career in world events?” one ad reads. “Help influence world events, protect the UK. Operational officer roles collecting and analyzing global intelligence.”
No word about whether you get an Aston Martin as your own company car. (Fox News)
