A new study may finally explain that children aren't being rude, when they seem to ignore you while playing computer games or watching TV.

It's found that they go temporarily deaf when concentrating on a visual task, so they can't hear sounds at normal levels.

It also explains that if you're on your phone, you might not hear your bus or train being announced, or the noise of general traffic.

The Journal of Neuroscience concludes the senses of hearing and vision share a limited resource, so if you're absorbed in a visual task, you go a bit deaf.