Life is full of irony, and often you don't need to look very far to find it.

This past weekend, I was watching the local 10 p.m. newscast and their health segment came on. The topic? Second hand television.

Second hand television? The dangers of watching a used set? No, no -- it couldn't be anything as straightforward as that. The second hand that they are referring to is having the television on while you are doing other things.

Confused? Read on, it gets better.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts studied 50 one to three-year-olds. When the television was on and they were playing -- not watching the television -- background TV was distracting enough to disrupt children's playtime.

According to the story I found on a television station's website, "Researchers say the findings suggest, just like dedicated screen time, secondhand TV should be limited. Pediatricians suggest scheduling the time the TV is on."

The story continues "Like sweets in diet, these experts say screen time, even background TV, should be in moderation."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV until a child is two years old. Researchers at the University of Washington have said TV can be a beneficial tool for children and parents, but not before the age of three.

I found it rather ironic that this segment would air during a newscast, which is one of the times the television is on in our household, but not necessarily being watched. Our house, like many households, has a television on in the morning as we prepare for work and in the evening when meals are being prepared. If we had young children in our home and we adhered to these recommendations, we more than likely wouldn't have known anything about the recommendations.

But perhaps these researchers are right. In our constant need to blame someone for everything in our lives, we now have a new scapegoat: second hand television.

Are you overweight? It could be that the television that is on during your meal preparation is causing you to become distracted and prepare the wrong type of food.

Are your finances a wreck? It could be that you became distracted by the television that was on in the next room as you were paying your bills. It's not your fault you are overdrawn, it's that Ray Romano's fault. Even though you've seen every episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond," the humor is quite distracting.

Are you out of shape? It could be that you were distracted while exercising. Even though many watch television to help pass the time while walking on a treadmill, secondhand television might distract you from walking and force you to fall, and we all know how discouraging falling can be.

Like many baby boomers, I grew up watching television. I even watched the uncensored Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner cartoons -- the ones that were far too violent for children to watch. As if I would try to jump off of a cliff to see if I would make a "poof" and small cloud when I landed! I didn't live in desert, so there wouldn't be any dust clouds when I landed -- I'm not stupid.

Although, I will admit that some of those ACME purchases looked quite tempting. What kid wouldn't want rocket powered roller skates -- c'mon!

My children watched television (and yes, we did limit what they watched - we even watched together) and appear to have normal attention spans.

The bottom line here is that parents need to be involved in the lives of their children. It's kind of our job. At least that's what I got out of one of those ABC After-School Specials.

Keeping televisions and computers in common areas and out of bedrooms simply makes sense. Perhaps keeping the television off while getting ready in the morning will improve the quality of playtime for our children.

Besides, if the television people tell you to turn their product off, who are we to argue?

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.