Family Quality Time

Families so busy the only time they spend together is watching TV
By Daily Mail Reporter

Families are so busy that the only time they spend together is in front of the television, a survey has claimed.

It found one in ten of those questioned said pressures at home and work meant that the only chance they had to bond was watching TV.

Half said they regarded the time spent in front of the box as the best way of catching up, while 12 per cent admitted it was the only time they were together in the same room.

TV family: For some, gathering around the box is the only time they have together

The survey of 1,000 families also revealed that 32 per cent watched TV together for two to three times a week, and a third (38 per cent) for up to an hour a night. Only 5 per cent of families said they never watched TV together.

Psychologist Pat Spungin, who founded the Raisingkids website, which conducted the survey with Freesat, which provides subscription-free digital television, said: 'Watching TV for an hour or two a few times a week can be the ultimate opportunity for families to bond.
'It is also promising that with our busy lifestyles, families regard watching TV together as the opportunity to communicate with each other and discuss current issues.'