# Too much too young: Children glued to TV and computer screens



## Northerner (Jan 8, 2013)

Doctors warn EVEN if kids get daily exercise, long hours in front of a screen puts them at a much higher risk of getting cancer in adult life

With the sort of technology now available, children are spending more time in front of a screen than ever.

And experts warn that even if youngsters get daily exercise, the increasing hours sat watching TV, playing computer games or surfing the internet could put them at a much higher risk of getting cancer in adult life.

Doctors fear long spells of inactivity while glued to a screen may lead to childhood obesity and the associated health dangers.

And they are now calling on parents to restrict the amount of time kids watch telly or play computer games to less than two hours a day and delay the age they start allowing toddlers to become viewers.

Experts have long been concerned about inactive children and obesity, but the World Cancer Research Fund has issued a fresh warning over kids who exercise and still turn to games and the TV.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/techno...r-and-obesity-risk-warning-of-sitting-1523980


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## Steff (Jan 8, 2013)

Got to say my son has limited access to any screen he watches 20 mins before school while eating breakfast and then at night he watches the simpsons for half hour... That's his choice but anymore then 2 hrs and we would stop it., luckily he plays out more even at the weekend

Regarding his Xbox he plays on that a maximum of an hour at the weekend sat and sund but got to admit his dads guilty of sitting on it for 3+ hours


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## Northerner (Jan 8, 2013)

Steff said:


> Got to say my son has limited access to any screen he watches 20 mins before school while eating breakfast and then at night he watches the simpsons for half hour... That's his choice but anymore then 2 hrs and we would stop it., luckily he plays out more even at the weekend
> 
> Regarding his Xbox he plays on that a maximum of an hour at the weekend sat and sund but got to admit his dads guilty of sitting on it for 3+ hours



Sounds like you're doing a great job Steff, although OH needs a bit of working on (or does it give you a bit of peace )

Of course, such things didn't exist when I was little. Even the telly didn't have programmes on for much of the day, and there were only two channels (3 when BBC2 started!). I remember I used to watch Watch with Mother, most of the Gerry Anderson things (Stingray, Supercar etc.) and Dr Who. No computers at all - they were still the size of a warehouse until I was about 14!


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## Steff (Jan 8, 2013)

Northerner said:


> Sounds like you're doing a great job Steff, although OH needs a bit of working on (or does it give you a bit of peace )
> 
> Of course, such things didn't exist when I was little. Even the telly didn't have programmes on for much of the day, and there were only two channels (3 when BBC2 started!). I remember I used to watch Watch with Mother, most of the Gerry Anderson things (Stingray, Supercar etc.) and Dr Who. No computers at all - they were still the size of a warehouse until I was about 14!



Thanks Alan not to say it won't get harder as he gets older mind u but it's cause of my childhood and the hours I spent in front of the screen that I don't want him being the same and so far it's working.


Oh is a whole diffirent story lol he's a small kid in a big mans body


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## Vicsetter (Jan 8, 2013)

Northerner said:


> Sounds like you're doing a great job Steff, although OH needs a bit of working on (or does it give you a bit of peace )
> 
> Of course, such things didn't exist when I was little. Even the telly didn't have programmes on for much of the day, and there were only two channels (3 when BBC2 started!). I remember I used to watch Watch with Mother, most of the Gerry Anderson things (Stingray, Supercar etc.) and Dr Who. No computers at all - they were still the size of a warehouse until I was about 14!


And you could go to the cinema, have a pint and fish and chips and still have change from half a crown

When I had an interview at Stafford UNI for an Applied Physics degree they proudly showed me their computer which was housed in a caravan inside their computer room.  Lined on 3 sides with racks of valves and if you were lucky your program completed before they had to replace on of the valves (p.s. I didn't go there or do Applied Physics).


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## Vicsetter (Jan 8, 2013)

Steff said:


> Thanks Alan not to say it won't get harder as he gets older mind u but it's cause of my childhood and the hours I spent in front of the screen that I don't want him being the same and so far it's working.
> 
> 
> Oh is a whole diffirent story lol he's a small kid in a big mans body



Noble aims Steff, keep up the good work, never could understand parents who let their kids have a tv in the bedroom.  

Only 3 hours, thats not very long!  But seriously, have you looked at Kinect for the xbox, most of the games are all about exercise and movement, strikes me as a very good use for the box.
What's your OH play, always looking for someone to play with (just finished Halo CE, looking forward to the next Spartan ops mission for Halo 4.  I think I've got almost as many Xbox games as DVDs.


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