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TV viewing negatively affects sperm characteristics
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Doctors have discovered an important factor that will force many men to spend less time in front of the television screen.
Doctors have found that spending a lot of time in front of the TV has a negative impact on a man’s ability to have children, as it significantly worsens the quality of sperm.
This pessimistic news for many men was published by medical specialists from the Danish University of Copenhagen in the Fox News publication.
Doctors tested sperm samples from men who spent five or more hours in front of the blue screen every day. It was found that such TV lovers had a total sperm count that was 34% lower than those men who rarely watched TV or were indifferent to TV at all.
“This difference in indicators is truly significant – and especially when it comes to a man’s ability to continue his family line,” the study’s organizers are confident.
A logical question arises: does a computer screen affect male reproductive function in the same way as a TV screen?
An interesting fact, but spending five or more hours a day at the computer does not significantly affect the quality of sperm. Moreover, regardless of what exactly the man is doing at the computer: working, communicating on social networks or playing online games. The reasons for this fact are unknown: scientists shrug their shoulders.
"Perhaps being in front of a TV screen is a more passive pastime than working on a computer. Interaction with a computer is probably more structured: a man can take an active break from work or play, unlike watching movies or TV shows, during which it is impossible to get distracted," concludes one of the authors of the experiment, Lerke Prikson.
Another theoretical reason scientists considered is that while on a soft and warm sofa surface, a man's groin temperature may rise. This can directly affect the production and quality of sperm. A work chair or a gaming chair does not have such a hyperthermic effect.
Doctors point out that lack of physical activity can harm male fertility in almost 100% of cases. Muscle activity, even if periodic, allows for more active production of antioxidant enzymes that protect spermatozoa from destruction due to oxidation processes.
The final argument from experts was that "lying" on the couch leads to excess weight. It is no secret that those who like to lie in front of the TV are prone to immoderate consumption of various drinks (beer, soda), to overeating (chips, popcorn). Such negative habits cannot go unnoticed for health. Therefore, all men, and especially potential future fathers, are advised to draw the right conclusions.