A toy retailer commissioned National Opinion Polls (NOP) to interview 750 parents in Britain with children aged up to 6. The survey found that 86% of these children watch up to 6 hours of television every day. The study also found that a third of all 5- to 6-year-olds regularly play video games.

The parents of those interviewed by NOP acknowledged that their children watched a lot of TV; 69% believed their offspring spent more time in front of TV than they did at a similar age. 81% of working parents said they wished they had more time to spend with their offspring. Almost all of those questioned said they wished their kids played more outside, saying they believed play helps develop social and motor skills. One child psychologist comments that "Parents today are much more aware of the benefits of play than in previous generations. There is a clearer understanding that play contributes to child development in a variety of ways - that it is not 'just for fun' - and that play and learning are connected."

The chief inspector of schools has complained that parents put their children in front of the TV instead of talking with them, playing with them, or disciplining them (leading to poor behaviour in class). One child psychologist responded that the research indeed suggests that parents still use TV as a means to entertain their children. However, he points to television's positive potential: parents who watch TV with their children and then discuss the meaning of what they are watching can benefit their children emotionally and mentally.

Click here for the full article on the Guardian site.

Source
Article forwarded to the Young People's Media Network on September 3 2003 (click here for the archives).