Study: TV a unifying force for families

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MONTREAL, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Some predict smartphones, computers and video games may replace TV, but Canadian researchers say families watching television together is a unifying force.

"Young Canadians today live in a different world than that experienced by previous generations. In this context, many well-placed observers have predicted the impending death of television," Dr. Andre H. Caron of the Universite de Montreal and director of the Center for Youth and Media Studies, said in a statement. "We wanted to test the veracity of this statement, so we set out to meet 80 different families and more than 200 participants to determine the current place of the small screen that has shaped so many childhoods since its creation."

The researchers analyzed media use by families and children in Canadian families. The researchers also used focus groups, composed respectively of children, fathers, mothers and young adolescents in each city.

The study found because of its dimensions the television is the only screen in the house that allowed family members to gather together and watch their favorite shows.

In addition, the results of the study showed, as in the past, television remains the media platform best suited to shared family experiences in the five regions visited.