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Today, children are watching more and more television, and are bombarded over and over with images and content that have the potential to dramatically influence their behavior.

The big problem is just this kind of gigantic piece, of kids reading less and liking it less and so getting worse at it. It's kind of this terrible spiral: Since they're not so good at it they do less of it, get worse at it, do less of it. And it's really what I discovered five, six years ago when I started the 'Guys Read' thing.

With my child, I hardly watch TV now.

Today's children have very short attention spans because they are being reared on dreadful television programmes which are flickering away in the corner.

We must not fail to recognise that television can be a hugely positive influence in children's lives, one of the greatest educators in contemporary society and an increasing influence on all the children followed in 'Child of Our Time.'

It is commonly agreed that children spend more hours per year watching television than in the classroom, and far less in actual conversation with their parents.

Kids aren't growing up with a sense of television as the aspirational place for their ideas.

The best way to get kids reading more is to give them books that they'll gobble up - and that will make them ask for another.

Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce the total amount of time they spend in front of the screen.