Research published earlier this week, suggests that children who watch a lot of television and have a set in their bedroom, do significantly worse at school and are less likely to reach university.

Dr Thomas Robinson, who led research at Stanford University said that by putting a television set in a child's room 'parents are giving up any control over how much and what their children are watching. They have no idea if they are watching all night, or if they are watching violent or sexually explicit content, or content or advertising that promotes alcohol or drug use.'

But before you consign the kids to a regime of good old fashioned low-tech play, evidence suggest that if parents control their offspring's television viewing, it need not be damaging . Another study from the University of Washington, noted that different age groups have varied responses to television: whilst it can impair the development of pre-school children, evidence indicates that it may have benefits for those aged between three and five.

The research also addresses the new rival for children's attention - the computer. It finds that children with a TV in their bedrooms, but no home computer, achieved the worst scores in school. On the other hand, those with access to a home computer and no television set in their room scored the highest.

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