statistically significant relationship between autism rates and television watching

Offcourse this relation was explained as televisions causing children to become autistic. This is a very annoying fallacy. Why? Because just maybe children with autism like to watch television more than other children.

If there is a relation, and if it’s not coincidental, there are still two ways to explain it as a cause and effect relation — you cant just blindly assume that one of the two is the cause.

Same goes with relations like:

“Children that play violent games are more likely to become criminals” or “Children that are to become criminals are more likely to play games”

Stupid shout culture.