The Player

A new study claims that too much TV and computer time can be damaging to children, writes CIARA O'BRIEN

ANOTHER week, yet another study on the effect on videogames on kids.

Researchers from the University of Bristol claim that more than two hours a day of "screen time" could increase the risk of children suffering "significant" psychological problems. And it doesn't matter how much physical activity they do outside of playing videogames, which neatly side-steps any potential arguments in favour of newer videogame systems.

But while some of the headlines may imply otherwise, the study concludes that videogames aren't the sole blame for it - TV also poses a risk.

Researchers studied more than 1,000 10- and 11-year- olds over one week, with participants required to fill out a questionnaire on how much time they spent on in front of the screen (TV or computer) and describe their mental state. The questions covered behavioural, emotional and peer-related problems, while an accelerometer measured physical activity.

The longer a child was in front of a TV or computer screen, the higher the chances they would suffer some sort of psychological difficulty - about 60 per cent higher, according to reports. The odds were even greater if they spent more than two hours in front of both types of entertainment.

Forcing your children away from the screen after a set time and into more active types of entertainment won't make much difference, because the study wasn't clear on whether high levels of physical activity will compensate.

The research will further muddy the waters for concerned parents. Studies have shown that some games can help children with their social skills or improve hand- to-eye coordination. One school in the US has even begun a programme that sees them start the day with Just Danceon the Wii, which saw tardiness falling at the school.

Kids are also ditching old- school hobbies in favour of playing videogames or going online, according to a study by Cadet150, which was undertaken in the UK to mark the Army Cadets' 150th year.

But, according to this new study, allow them to spend two hours a day in front of a screen and you're setting them up for psychological problems further down the line. It's a minefield.

If this is the case, then we are now living with a couple of generations of people at a higher risk of suffering psychological problems.