CONSUMER
Irish kids glued to the box
17-12-2007
by Emmet Ryan
Irish children are watching more TV than the average EU child according to new research by UPC, the parent company of Chorus and NTL.
UPC's annual European Television Survey, which had 5,905 participants in 13 countries, found that 51 percent of Irish children spend between 1.5 and 3 hours per day watching TV. This was the highest percentage in Europe and well above the average of 40 percent of children across the EU that spend this long watching TV.
Ireland was also well above the European average in terms of the number of children that spend more than three hours per day watching television with 23 percent, compared to the EU average of 16 percent. Romania, on 26 percent, and Hungary, on 29 percent, were the only two countries that finished above Ireland in this category.
Though Irish children may be watching more TV than their European counterparts the study found that they watch it under stricter controls and in a different environment than is typical in the EU. Parents in Ireland are far more like to discuss what their children watch, with 57 percent consulting with their children about their viewing habits as opposed to 43 percent across the EU. Irish parents are also more likely to be present when children are watching television as almost half of all Irish families watch movies and light entertainment programmes together, ahead of the EU average of just 30 percent.
"The survey has highlighted a number of interesting insights into TV viewing in Ireland. It's clear that TV viewing in Ireland remains essentially with parents taking an active role in deciding what kids watch and the importance of family watching television together, much more than the European average," Simon Kelehan, head of TV of UPC Ireland. "Irish parents in particular recognise the improved range and choice of content for children, which is a result of the increased availability of digital TV in Ireland."
This is possibly the last year where these figures will be heavily dominated by traditional TV viewing as the way in which we watch TV is changing rapidly. With IPTV and mobile phones becoming more prevalent, it will be interesting to see how viewing patterns change over the next 12 months.
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