A useful electronic babysitter? An essential educational tool in the modern age, which no self-respecting parent could deprive their children of? Or the reason for poor standards of reading, the growth in obesity and the creation of a generation of passive, telly-addicted couch potatos?
The pros and cons of television have been endlessly debated. But for nannies spending long hours looking after children, just as for parents, the issue of what to allow their charges to watch and for how long has never been as important as it is today, as channels and household sets multiply.
A survey last year by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) found that more than a third of all children under four - a staggering 36 per cent - had a TV in their bedroom. Among under-16s, more than half - 52 per cent - had their own set.
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