Studies have linked children’s TV viewing to problems with obesity, poor grades and misbehavior. Yet about 25 percent of preschoolers, half of school-age children and two-thirds of teenagers have sets in their room, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There are steps parents can take to make kids’ TV viewing safer.

Use the V-Chip, a now-standard feature that lets parents block programs with certain ratings.

If cable or satellite access is added to a television, parents will need to activate the blocking system associated with those products.

Timers are available to control what hours the television will be operable, and how many hours a day or hours in a row it can be on.

Dr. Vic Strasburger, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, recommends that parents watch television with their kids and follow the academy’s guidelines, which advise limiting viewing to one to two hours a day.