South London parents Sean Coughlan, 43, and his wife Estelle, 38, think the damage done to children by technology is the result of bad parenting rather than the digital revolution. They keep a tight rein on how much TV is watched by daughters Josephine, four, Maeve, seven, and Anna, nine. 'We keep an eye on what they watch but they don't really have that much time for television,' said Estelle, a television producer. A hectic after-school schedule of gym, ballet, violin, piano music lessons and extra maths for the two older girls sees to that. They are allowed to watch some children's programmes via the computer and on Fridays the whole family watches a movie together, as a reward for good behaviour. Sean, a journalist, thinks computers are neither good nor bad for children, just a tool. 'They can allow children to be more creative. If they go on a computer, they can write, draw, or paint something, or look for something. They can be hugely imaginative. I don't think that's changed.' The couple believe children can generally be sheltered from the risks of modern life by good parenting and that, if anything, parents are overprotective. The one area that does arouse concern is the way children are bombarded with adult imagery promoting either sexuality or consumerism. 'I do fear that there is too much pressure on children to grow up too early,' Sean said. 'It is very hard to protect childhood in that sense.'
