Sophie, 2 ans, regarde la télé 1 heure par jour. Cela double ses chances de présenter des troubles attentionnels en grandissant.
Lubin, 3 ans, regarde la télé 2 heures par jour. Cela triple ses chances d'être en surpoids.
Lina, 15 ans, regarde des séries comme Desperate Housewives. Cela triple ses chances de connaître une grossesse précoce non désirée.
Henri, 60 ans, regarde la télé 4 heures par jour. René, son jumeau, se contente de la moitié. Henri a 2 fois plus de chances de mourir d'un infarctus que René.
Pour les spécialistes, dont fait partie l'auteur, il n'y a plus de doute : la télévision est un fléau. Elle exerce une influence profondément négative sur le développement intellectuel, le langage, l'attention, l'imagination, la violence, le sommeil, les adictions, la sexualité, l'image du corps, le comportement alimentaire, l'obésité et l'espérance de vie.
Michel Desmurget est docteur en neurosciences. Après avoir fréquenté plusieurs grandes universités américaines (MIT, Emory, UCSF), il est aujourd'hui directeur de recherche à l'INSERM. Il est l'auteur de Mad in USA (Max Milo, 2008).
En Amérique, le libéralisme est source de prospérité pour le plus grand nombre ? Faux. En Amérique, « tout est possible » pour ceux qui travaillent dur ? Faux. En Amérique, le taux de chômage est dérisoire ? Faux. En Amérique, l'indigence est relative et les pauvres vivent « comme des Européens modestes » ? Faux. En Amérique, les exclus du système de santé reçoivent des soins gratuits lorsqu'ils en ont vraiment besoin ? Faux et archi-faux.
De tous les pays développés, l'Amérique présente les niveaux de pauvreté, de mortalité infantile et d'inégalité les plus élevés. Des millions d'enfants se voient refuser jusqu'au droit à une éducation décente, et imposer de la publicité pendant les cours. Des millions d'individus travaillent à plein-temps (ou plus) pour des salaires inférieurs au seuil de pauvreté. Des millions de salariés, révocables sans préavis, sont dépourvus de congés payés, d'assurance santé, de plans de retraite et de couverture chômage. Des femmes accouchent et retournent au travail dès le lendemain faute d'avoir accès à des congés maternité indemnisés. Des retraités sont contraints de revendre, pour subsister, des canettes de Coca-Cola vides, ramassées dans les poubelles. Le taux d'incarcération des plus défavorisés est tel qu'il biaise jusqu'aux chiffres du chômage...
Pourtant, nombre d'hommes politiques européens continuent d'ériger le « modèle américain » en référence salvatrice. Combien de temps encore devrons-nous subir une telle fable ? Ce livre noir dévoile tous les chiffres et les scandales qui constituent l'Amérique d'aujourd'hui. Des dizaines de témoignages en font une enquête à couper le souffle.
Michel Desmurget est chercheur à l'INSERM. Il a vécu, étudié et travaillé huit ans aux États-Unis.
In America, liberalism brings prosperity to the majority?
False.
In America, "anything is possible" for those who work hard?
False.
In America, the unemployment rate is minimal?
False.
In America, poverty is relative and the poor live "like modest Europeans?"
False.
In America, those excluded from the health care system receive free care when they really need it?
False-really false.
In an excellent investigation, with clear and relevant examples, Michel Desmurget shatters the myth of a beautiful and prosperous America where everyone can succeed as long as they are hardworking and courageous. Taking the opposite view of the current dominant discourse on the virtues of the Anglo-Saxon liberal model, the author writes a disconcerting antithesis, based on American researchers, sociologists and journalists who have studied the failures of the American model and who, for the most part, recommend surprisingly European solutions (universal social security, introduction of a minimum wage indexed to inflation, federalized education, etc.).
Michel Desmurget is a doctor of neuropsychology. He attended several major American universities (MIT, Emory, UCSF) and is now a research director at INSERM in cognitive neuroscience. He is particularly interested in the problems of brain organization and plasticity. He is the author of the book TV Lobotomy (Max Milo, 2022), which is based in part on his personal history. Exasperated by having to constantly justify the choice not to have television at home-and to prevent his children from having access to it-and not to be seen as a sociopath in the eyes of those around him, he has done a massive job to argue his point.
o "TV unleashes the imagination and feeds intelligence."
o "A child deprived of TV risks social isolation."
o "TV dumbs you down."
o "TV makes you obese."
It seems that everything-and its opposite-has already been said about TV. But what is it really? How can we distinguish between the radical "No TV" of some and the supposedly entertaining virtues touted by others?
Michel Desmurget, a doctor in neuroscience, has sifted through and synthesized thousands of research articles published over the last fifty years in the most rigorous international journals. The conclusion is unequivocal-we must stop watching television for good, whatever the program. All content, even that meant to teach, can never come close to any other learning method. The data is clear-television viewing is detrimental to school performance. For a child in elementary school, for example, every hour spent daily watching television increases the likelihood that he or she will one day leave the school system without any qualifications.
For specialists, there is no doubt that television has a negative influence, not only on intellectual development but also on behavior. Thus, certain eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) are related to a frantic consumption of-television programs!
In short, watching television has an impact on our life expectancy. However, the harmful impact of this risk is largely underestimated, because of the large sector of the public exposed to television (more than 85% of Western households have at least one television set), and because of a debate on the subject that has become inaudible and confused. Moreover, the results of the research initiated by the big media groups on the subject remain "proprietary," i.e., closed to the general public.
Believing that we is facing a real public health problem, Michel Desmurget wants to act as a responsible scientist-with a clear, concise and rigorously referenced book, the message cannot go unnoticed.
Michel Desmurget is a doctor of neuropsychology. He attended several major American universities (MIT, Emory, UCSF) and is now a research director at INSERM in cognitive neuroscience. He is particularly interested in the problems of brain organization and plasticity. He is the author of the book TV Lobotomy (Max Milo, 2022), which is based in part on his personal history. Exasperated by having to constantly justify the choice not to have television at home-and to prevent his children from having access to it-and not to be seen as a sociopath in the eyes of those around him, he has done a massive job to argue his point.
