Children who watch TV more than two hours a day are more likely to face ... trends now
Children who watch more than two hours of TV a night are more likely to be addicted to gambling, cigarettes, cannabis and alcohol when they grow up.
Researchers in New Zealand looked at data from 1,000 people from when they were children to over 45 years of age. Surveys were carried out every two to six years about their TV use, whether they gambled, and what drugs they took.
Results showed those who watched more than two hours of TV on week nights from ages five to 15 years were 29 per cent more likely to have a gambling problem in adulthood than those who spent less time glued to screens.
They were also 20 per cent more likely to be addicted to tobacco products and had had a higher risk of alcohol or cannabis use disorder compared to those who spent less time in front of screens.
The findings may cause concern, given a separate study revealed earlier this month found American children are now spending about four hours staring at screens a day.
Children who spend more than two hours a day glued to screens are significantly more likely to have a gambling or tobacco addiction than their peers, researchers found. They were also more likely to have an alcohol or cannabis addiction (file image)
Researchers suggested endlessly staring at the TV may indicate addictive disorder in children WHY?, and make it easier to slip into another type of addiction.
Dr Helena McAnally, a preventive medicine expert at the University of Otago who led the paper, said: 'This research indicates that, for some people, television viewing may be an early expression of an addictive disorder or may lead to later substance-related and other addictive disorders.'
The results are observational, meaning scientists could not prove that television drives the risk of problem behaviors later in life.
They cannot definitely rule out other factors such as genetics, parental influence or an absence of social support.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children should not watch more than two hours of television every weeknight.
In what is believed to be a world-first long-term study on TV use and addiction, researchers recruited 1,000 children after birth between 1972 and 1973.
Youngsters were invited for screenings every two years until they were 15 years old, where parents filled out questionnaires on how much television they watched.
Participants were then asked back every three-to-five years for face-to-face interviews to assess four possible addictions.
