Barrie Gunter is a psychologist and professor of mass communication at Leicester University. He is taking part in a BBC Panorama programme looking at what effect depriving a group of eight-year-olds and their families of all screen-based entertainment – computer games, TV, Nintendos etc – has on their home life.

When the BBC originally approached Gunter it was to discover whether cutting out computer games and TV affected children’s performance at school. He told them it was unlikely that they’d get any results in the short-term and suggested that a more interesting, and instantaneous, experiment would be to deprive a whole family for two weeks to find out how it affected them at home.

A class of eight-year-olds was divided with one half deprived of all screen-based fun and the other left to its usual habits. The families were all regular TV and computer users but ranged from children who were often busy with after-school activities to those who spent most of their spare time in front of a screen.

Eight-year-olds were chosen because, as far as the BBC is concerned, they are at the stage of developing more adult tastes, becoming more screen literate and articulate about their own behaviour.

“The overwhelming response was that no one regretted taking part,” says Gunter. “Most parents admitted that they’d got lazy, choosing the easy option and allowing, or even encouraging, bad viewing habits, particularly when they needed time to do chores or get meals ready. A lot of fathers came home from work and ate on their own without even saying hello to the children who had already eaten in front of the television.

“Mothers described problems getting the attention of children who had been sat at a screen when it was time for school or bed, which often resulted in them losing their temper.

“Without the technology, many said that their children were more tired in the evening because they did other things, so went to bed earlier and were more focused in the mornings; that it was easier to get them to do their homework; and to look round for other things to do to fill their time. Parents found themselves having to engage more with their children and spending more time as a family. The children liked the extra attention they got from their parents and wanted it to continue. One girl said she liked having her brother back.

“The key is to get children to recognise why you don’t want them to do something all the time, to avoid the for-bidden-fruit effect. You have to be creative about what to do instead and make it enjoyable. The hope is that after a while they’ll manage their own time more effectively and move away from the ingrained habit of always switching something on.”

Gunter is not suggesting cutting out screen entertainment permanently.

“Planned viewing is fine but don’t allow the TV to dominate. When you’ve finished watching something or playing a game, turn it off. Try living with silence for a while.”

Some multi-module activity such as playing a sports game or building an online empire is good for children because the text, audio and visual aids used alongside them are jumbled and jumping between them helps to engage the mind.

Gunter admits that there is some prejudice at play when it comes to technology. “But there is also evidence that if you start on games and TV early enough, it does affect your ability to read as the cognitive factors that are stimulated are not the skills that you need to sit down and concentrate on reading. And I have to say that there was no evidence of increased reading during our study.”

*Panorama, BBC One, Monday June 18, 8.30pm

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