Watching television is bad for the brain but reading books and using a computer will make you brighter - or so a survey of young Bermudians and their literacy levels would appear to indicate.

The study of Islanders aged 16 to 25 found that those who viewed more than two hours of TV a day performed lower in tests than those who tuned in less.

More than 40 per cent of those glued to the box were deemed as “at risk” of not excelling in life in the 2003 Adult Literacy and Life-Skills (ALL) Survey.

And disturbingly, high proportions of both sexes were involved in “prolonged television watching”. Sixty percent of young men watched more than two hours of TV a day, compared to 47 percent of young women. Of that group, 13 percent of men and 11 percent admitted watching more than five hours a day.

On average, young men watched for two hours and 45 minutes and young women for two hours and 26 minutes. Viewing habits appeared to have a clear impact on test scores, with men who watched for more than two hours scoring an average of 265 in a test for numeracy, compared to 288 for men who watched less. For women the average mark was 259 for those watching more TV and 272 for those watching less.

Reading books, on the other hand, was found to boost brain power. A report on the survey results compiled by the Department of Statistics said: “It is generally believed that people who read more perform better in school and in the workplace.

“The ALL Survey provided evidence to support this theory as people who were engaged in regular reading activities achieved literacy scores that were higher than those who did not read habitually.”

The young women surveyed preferred reading to men and visited book stores and libraries more often. Two-thirds of females counted reading as a favourite pastime, compared to 41 percent of men. Thirty seven percent of males and 21 percent of females said they only read when they had to.

But most households did own more than 25 books - a factor affecting literacy skills. Those with 25 to 100 books and more than 100 books at home performed significantly better in tests on numeracy, prose and document literacy than those with less than 25 books.

Using a computer was also found to have a favourable effect. Those with a PC at home consistently scored higher than those without in the three literacy tests. Eighty eight percent of men surveyed said they had access to a PC at home and 91 percent of those had an internet connection, compared to 79 percent of women who had a computer and 79 percent of those who were online. Young women spent an average of 23 hours and 48 minutes a month surfing the web, compared to 21 hours and 55 minutes for men.

Education Minister Randy Horton yesterday urged young Bermudians at school and in the workforce to “take stock of their reading and television viewing habits and make the necessary adjustments”.

“If you are reading a book a month, read one more and watch less television,” he said. “Parents and guardians have an important role to play in cultivating such habits.”

He added that the findings about reading and computers confirmed what was already known and vindicated ongoing efforts to improve standards.