Continuous viewing is not ideal for your child’s development, warns Dr Karen Phillip.

Ten, in particular had success with Eleven, which launched in 2011. And a huge part of that was their decision to shift Neighbours from the main channel in order to underpin Eleven’s programming roster.

For years, the long-running soap dominated the digital ratings, but recently Neighbours has been deposed — and it’s having a huge impact on Aussie families.

Peppa Pig, Shaun The Sheep, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and other ABC2 shows now regularly top the daily digital ratings, at times far outstripping what is on the main channels for Nine, Seven and Ten.

Shaun The Sheep leads the pack in the digital ratings race.Source:Supplied

And given their target audience is tiny — both in stature and numbers — the fact these kids programs rival Today and Sunrise when it comes to eyeballs tuning in is raising alarm bells.

“A lot of parents feel that those (ABC2) programs are beneficial to the children,” parenting expert Dr Karen Phillip said.

“But by beneficial you don’t know if they mean education or childminding. To me, it’s more childminding.”

The fact our children are so engaged with screens has led to not just the inability to use their imagination, but has even been linked to a lack of empathy development added Dr Phillip.

“Kids are losing the capability of developing skills in empathy and reading other people’s body language because they’re so not in tune with it anymore,” she said.

“Even with their friends, they’ll play next to them on an iPad but not with them.

“They’re sitting in front of a screen and being entertained externally and continuously. Even four and five year olds are losing the ability to come up with new games, new concepts and new ideas because they’re so used to being entertained by an external source.”

Small screen stars Ben and Holly from Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.Source:Supplied

Media analyst Steve Allen is unsurprised by the ratings success of ABC2.

Roughly ten years ago, the free to air networks had strict guidelines set in place around their children’s content. As such, many of the shows aimed at that audience became commercially unviable. And given the same rules don’t apply to Foxtel — meaning many parents made the switch to their kids’ channels — it was only the ABC who continued to create original content.

“Parents think that there is trusted content there and that they’re not going to get pester power from it so they’re very happy to encourage the screen being the childminder,” said Allen.

They also have another surprising card up their sleeve.

“Kids aren’t like young adults — and even older adults — who want to resist appointment viewing and want programs that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Allen.

“Kids are no longer resisting appointment viewing. They get home from school or from playing outside and they’re very happy that their favourite program comes on — whether it’s at 3.30 in the afternoon or 7.30 in the morning.”

But while the effects of too much of that appointment TV can be negative, Dr Phillip said that there are ways to turn it to your benefit.

“If parents interact with them during a show or if they want to watch, say Peppa Pig and they’re doing the singing and dancing and interacting, that’s completely different,” she said.

“We just (also) need to make sure that we provide the opportunity for children to engage in their own play.”