Common Sense Media released an exhaustive survey Tuesday outlining how
young people spend screen time. One concern: the number of youngsters
who feel comfortable multi-tasking while doing homework.
Two-thirds of teenagers said they listen to music every day, and 58
percent said the same about watching television, the study said. By
contrast, 45 percent reported using social media every day and only 36
percent said they enjoyed that activity "a lot"; twice as many said they
really enjoyed their music.
Television is the favorite activity of teenagers in training, with 62
percent of respondents aged 8 to 12 saying they watched every day, the
study said. Tweens said they spend just under six hours a day of media
time.
Exactly half of the time teenagers spend with video involves watching a
TV program at the time it originally airs. The rest is parceled out
among time-delayed viewing, DVDs or online video, the study said.
Boys are much more likely to play video games
than girls. The survey found male teenagers spent an average of 56
minutes a day gaming, while girls devoted only seven minutes. Girls
spent more time on social media or reading than boys.
Half of the teenagers said they watch TV or use social media either "a
lot" or "sometimes" while doing homework, and 76 percent said they
listen to music while working. Half of the teens say that listening to
music actually helps their work, while only 6 percent said they thought
it hurt.
"As a parent and educator, there's clearly more work to be done around
the issue of multi-tasking," said James Steyer, founder and CEO of
Common Sense Media, an organization that monitors youthful media use and
gives recommendations to parents. "Nearly two-thirds of teens today
tell us they don't think watching TV or texting while doing homework
makes any difference to their ability to study and learn, even though
there's more and more research to the contrary."
More kids said their parents have talked to them about the content of
what they watch or listen to rather than the time spent on media, the
study said.
Poor children have less access to computers, tablets and smartphones
than wealthier kids, but spend more time on devices when they have one,
the study said.
Black teenagers spend more time with media than other ethnic groups, an
average of 11 hours and 13 minutes each day. Latinos spend just over
nine hours and whites eight hours, 48 minutes, the study found.
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