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Friday, 3 March, 2000, 05:34 GMT

TV 'brings families together'

Watching television brings families together, according to a new survey.

One in three parents quizzed said they were spending more time with their children as a result of watching TV with them.

Parents also said they valued the chance to spend time curled up on the settee with their children.

It provides adults with the perfect opportunity for snuggling up with their children
Psychologist Dr David Lewis

A thousand parents with children aged between four and 14 were interviewed to find out how important television was to their everyday lives.

More than half said the TV had become the family's preferred way of spending time together, beating traditional pastimes such as board games.

Psychologist Dr David Lewis, a child development expert who analysed the findings, said television could draw families closer together and give them a shared point of interest and discussion.

Security

"It also provides adults with the perfect opportunity for snuggling up with their children, becoming physically and emotionally closer as a result," he said.

The survey also showed that parents felt sitting down to watch TV as a family unit left their children feeling more secure.

It marks a real turnaround for the fortunes of the television which has, in the past, been blamed for killing everything from the family unit to the art of conversation.

The survey, carried out in Leeds, Croydon, Norwich, Cardiff and Coventry for the Disney Channel UK, also highlighted differences between families' viewing habits across the country.

In the North, 43% of families said they liked TV because it brought them closer to their children, while in the South, the figure was 57%.

Related to this story:
Television 'disturbs children's sleep' (08 Sep 99 | Health)
Turn off the TV, lose weight (06 May 99 | Health)
Sometimes it's hard to be a parent (06 Sep 99 | UK)

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