MILLIONS of youngsters are suffering nightmares because children's television is too scary, according to a survey.
More than 70 per cent of parents with children under the age of seven said their children had regular nightmares because of programmes such as Primeval and Ben 10.
However, a study last year by Michael Schredl, head of research at the Sleep Laboratory at Germany's Central Institute of Mental Health, found no correlation between video games and television programmes watched by children and nightmares.
The programme that attracted greatest criticism in the new poll was Primeval – about a breakdown in the time-space continuum that allows dinosaurs to travel to the present day, wreaking havoc on the world. Parents said this was too frightening for young children.
They also complained that Ben 10, featuring a boy who finds a device called an Omnitrix which transforms him into alien lifeforms, was too aggressive.
Other programmes cited as inappropriate included Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, which parents said gave children "ideas" for bad behaviour, and Power Rangers, which was seen as being too fast and violent.
Hannah Montana, about an ordinary schoolgirl by day who leads a double life and is famous pop singer Hannah Montana by night, was criticised for encouraging young girls to act too old for their age.
Two-thirds of parents admitted they found it difficult deciding which programmes were suitable and that their youngsters often watched television with their hands over their eyes.
Parents agreed that so-called "family entertainment" such as Doctor Who, Primeval and Robin Hood should be shown after the watershed.
More than half of those polled agreed that as well as inducing nightmares, much children's television encouraged bad behaviour. Three-quarters of parents would welcome more guidance from broadcasters, and age certificates being shown before a programme was aired.
Kathryn Crawford, spokeswoman for www.thebabywebsite.com, which conducted the poll of 3,000 parents, said: "All children suffer from nightmares at some point during childhood. But there is no doubt that viewing unnecessary violence and hostility on television contributes to this.
"There is a great uncertainty about what to allow children to watch – on the one hand, you want them to be accepted by their peers and be able to join in conversations, but on the other, you want to protect them from growing up too fast and suffering with nightmares."
Media violence cause of anxiety to both children and grown-ups
THE poll of parents of children under seven conducted by TheBabyWebsite highlights an apparently high degree of anxiety about violence on television.
Although those who responded are likely to be the parents who are most concerned, similar concern is reported elsewhere.
Media violence is known to have an effect on children (and indeed adults) – although some are much more susceptible than others. It can make children more aggressive, or it can cause anxiety and nightmares in both adults and children.
Public Health Canada funded a large study looking at the effect of television on children, and the author Wendy Josephson offers sound advice to parents.
Josephson noted that children are not affected much by television programmes till they are two and a half years old.
However, at this age, they are most likely to watch cartoons, so they do experience violence early. Although not frightened by cartoons, young children are frightened by realistic fantasy television.
The research showed that around 50 per cent of children under five have been scared by something on television.
The Incredible Hulk was cited as particularly frightening because it is clearly wicked and because it transforms.
Parents are advised to talk to school-age children, offering reassurance. But for young children, this does not work, and the best thing is to distract them or comfort them if they have been frightened. Other general advice is to watch with the children and screen their viewing.
According to researchers at Browns University on Rhode Island, one cause of sleep disturbance is increased television viewing, especially increased viewing at bedtime – more so if the television is in the bedroom.
• Dr Evelyn McGregor lectures in developmental psychology at the University of Edinburgh.
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