Limit your 14 year old’s Time on TV screens or they would do worse in their GCSE

In a study published this week in the open access International Journal of behavioural Nutrition and physical activity, Cambridge researchers found a definite relation between hours spent in front of the television and a decline in academic performance.

The study watched the sedentary time or time absence of body movement of 845 high school students between 14 and 16, for two years. Researchers found that each hour spent watching TV, was linked with significantly low scores in the student’s general certificate of Secondary education.

The study’s lead researcher Dr Kirsten Corder from Cambridge University’s centre for diet and activity research said “Television and computer games and internet use were all harmful to academic performance, but TV viewing was the most detrimental.

An average kid spends 900 hours in a year in school and 1500 hours a year and 1680 minutes a week watching television. 70 per cent of day care centres use Television.

The research suggests that 14-year-olds who spend an hour a day on screens during their leisure time score nine fewer points at GCSE when the sum of their grades is calculated – the equivalent of dropping two grades from a B to D. Two extra hours results in 18 fewer points at GCSE.

On the strength of their findings, parent are urged to limit your children’s time on TV screens, if you are concerned about their GCSE results.