TV in children''s bedrooms sees ''worrying rise''
07/12/2009
By Michael Ewing
Children before school age are increasingly being allowed to watch TV from the comfort of their own bed, according to a new survey made public in Australia.
The Age reported the study from the University of New England which was being presented at the Longitudinal Study of Australian Conference in Melbourne last week, which revealed that around 13 per cent of kids between the ages of three and four are allowed access to TV when on their mattress.
Furthermore, they average around 70 minutes from the box each day, while this figure rises to about two hours as they reach between seven and eight years of age.
Associate professor Jill Sewell, the deputy director of the Centre for Community Child Health, said the trend was worrying: "Parents should be watching TV with their children to be aware of what they''re watching and help explain what''s happening when necessary."
Despite this, children''s TV goes from strength to strength, with Top Gear''s Richard Hammond scooping the Bafta for capturing the hearts of the demographic with his show Blast Lab.
