Official: gadgets mute kids better than old-style activities

Modern gadgets are helping to reduce the 'Are we there yet there?' syndrome that gets bored sprogs whining on long journeys. These days, traditional car games just don't cut the mustard.

In case you've been on another planet for the last decade and didn't already know this, online retailer Pixmania has conducted a study to prove it.

Some 28 families were given a range of products and asked to keep a three-week log of how long each device kept their kids entertained during car journeys.

No cards on the table?

Apple's iPod Touch and Sony's PlayStation Portable were the most successful, keeping children distracted for an average of 3.5 hours. The leading traditional activity, I Spy, offered little competition at just 30 minutes.

Pixmania's MD, Ulric Jerome, said: "If you believe in the old adage that kids should be seen and not heard then it’s gadgets over games all the way. When it comes to keeping the kids happy our research has shown that’s its very much out with the old and in with the new."

Of course it is - there's no money in free entertainment.

Thanks to this year's ash cloud disruption, a record number of families are set to hit the road this summer, so make sure you're not stuck playing 'I spy a grouchy child'.

Remember: plug 'em in and shut 'em up. ®