According to Television watching may hasten puberty, watching television may reduce melatonin levels — and low melatonin levels hasten maturation:
Scientists at the University of Florence in Italy found that when youngsters were deprived of their TV sets, computers and video games, their melatonin production increased by an average 30 per cent.?Girls are reaching puberty much earlier than in the 1950s. One reason is due to their average increase in weight; but another may be due to reduced levels of melatonin,? suggests Roberto Salti, who led the study. ?Animal studies have shown that low melatonin levels have an important role in promoting an early onset of puberty.?
(Hat tip to FuturePundit.)