Media games outrages reach their inevitable conclusion with astounding cancer headline in The Mirror

TV & COMPUTER CRAZE IS GIVING KIDS CANCER”

You see, the mistake The Mirror has made with today’s front page headline is leaving itself nowhere else to go. Once games give you cancer, there’s little scope left for a more sensational angle.

TV & COMPUTER CRAZE TURNING KIDS INTO PEADOPHILES”

That’s pretty much all we can come up with. Unless you’re The Daily Mail, of course. Then there’s a plethora of alternatives:

TV & COMPUTER CRAZE GIVEN 500K CENTRAL LONDON COUNCIL HOUSE”
"TV & COMPUTER CRAZE DRIVING UP BENEFITS"
TV & COMPUTER CRAZE THREATENS OUR BRAVE BOYS”
TV & COMPUTER CRAZE KILLED DIANA”

Before we even get started on the tumour at the heart of The Mirror’s story, let’s look at that headline again. TV & computer craze”. Craze? As in, kids are crazily taking to this new invention? TV has been available since the 1920s and computer games since the ‘70s. Tamagotchi was a ‘craze’. Planking was a ‘craze’. TV is no longer a ‘craze’. Video games are no longer a ‘craze’.

Anyhow.

Children glued to TV and computer screens at increased risk of cancer and obesity… BLAH BLAH BLAH FIVE PARAGRAPHS OF UNSUBSTANTIATED AND REPETITIVE NONSENSE BLAH BLAH… experts have long been concerned about inactive children and obesity, but the World Cancer Research Fund has issued a fresh warning over kids who exercise and still turn to games and the TV.”

Buried deep down the throat of the article some articulated argument can indeed be found.

People often assume sedentary behaviour is the same as physical inactivity,” World Cancer Research Fund head of health information Kate Mendoza said. "But someone can do the recommended amount of daily physical activity and still be sedentary.

"Children may well get plenty of physical activity at school through sports or playing but if they spend a lot of time sitting down at home they might develop habits which could increase their risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes in the future.

"By reducing their sedentary time children will lessen their chances of becoming obese.”

Yep, that makes sense. We’re not going to argue with that. Apparently kids spent an average of 5.9 hours per day in front of the TV in 2012, according to research agency Childwise. That’s too much. The nation’s parents do need to sort that.

What we will argue with, however, is The Mirror’s use of the headline. Not only is it unfair on our fine industry but it also takes what is a fair and reasonable debate about our kids’ lifestyles and turns it into sensationalised trashy shite.

SENSATIONAL TABLOID HEADLINE CRAZE RUINS DEBATE”

Image credit: VG247