BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The most popular recreational pastime in the U.S. is television viewing. Some researchers have claimed that television may be addictive. We provide a review of the definition, etiology, prevention and treatment of the apparent phenomenon of television addiction. METHODS: Selective review. RESULTS: We provide a description of television (TV) addiction, including its negative consequences, assessment and potential etiology, considering neurobiological, cognitive and social/cultural factors. Next, we provide information on its prevention and treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that television addiction may function similarly to substance abuse disorders but a great deal more research is needed.
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Sussman et al. (2013) studied this question.