New Study Links Anime Exposure To Increase In Autism

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A recent study by conducted by Stanford University's psychological and mental health department found that there are highly correlative links between autism and exposure to Japanese animation, also known as "anime." The study found upon repeated exposure to the same programs that 1 out of every 3 boys will develop symptoms commonly associated with Asperger Syndrome, and that 1 out of every 7 boys will develop severe learning difficulties and delays in mental development, particularly in the socio-sexual parts of the brain. 1 out of every 15 girls will experience delays in their development, but this seems mostly recessive; after a few months, most of the girls will regain their capacities. Boys, on the other hand, seem to have no limit for how long the damage stays.


Autism researchers are finding this highly troubling due to the abundance and common household acceptance of popular anime franchises, and are urging parents to not show their children any shows that were written, animated or produced in Japan. The study states that "The boys' reaction were that one of a fawn who had lost their mother and all sense of meaning in the world." In one case study, 3 boys and 1 girl were shown several episodes of Dragon Ball Z. Dr. Joseph Stein, child psychiatrist who was overlooking the important experiment, said that "the reaction of all 3 boys suggests that something occurs deep within their psychological wiring that causes them to go into a stupor. They lose their sense of personal awareness and their sense of fitting into a larger group. They no longer strive for improvement and competition, and instead let the magic of the cartoon or image-book guide them through a fantasy world which they have now identified as being a part of. In one boy's case, he then identified as the main character and hero the show: 'I want to be Goku,' he exclaimed with slurred and discordant speech."


One boy, who upon his own request watched 10 episodes of Dragon Ball consecutively, experienced a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. From then on he experienced several more seizures while yelling about plot points from the show during his moments of consciousness. His parents are now questioning the ethical standards of Stanford medical department. "The girl seemed fine, although it was clear to me that she was either uncomfortable or unsatisfied with the program being shown to her," said Stein. Later, the girl's parents found that she had a reluctance to do homework and watch live-actor shows, so it has been hypothesized that the effects on girls may just be more difficult to notice.


"We need to do a lot more research and pay careful attention to this," said Angela Geiger, president of the Autism Speaks research foundation.


So far, anime remains highly available and consumed at a mass-market level in the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea and China and is slowly making its way into the entertainment markets of other countries as well. Japan, the original creators of anime, is suffering from a low birthrate from a lack of interest and initiation in the 18 to 30 years old demographics. Birthrates in other countries exposed to anime have plummeted as well, in addition to a lack of participation in courtship from the young population. Psychiatrists and researchers trying to connect the dots say it may already be too late to turn things around, as "many young people would rather die than give up their anime," says Geiger.

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AP writers Matthew Lee, Lisa Mascaro and Jonathan Lemire contributed.

This is a satirical website. Don't take it Seriously. It's a joke.

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