Children’s Media and Technology Usage Skyrocket as Future Unfolds

This report by the nonprofit group Common Sense Media on the viewing habits of more than 1,400 children nationwide age 8 and under found that those from lower-income families spent more than three hours per day watching TV and using electronic devices, while those from higher-income homes spent less than two hours per day on those activities. Similarly, the study found that the offspring of better-educated parents also spend less time with media compared with children of those with less education.  Results also found that Latino parents expressed the most concern about what their children are exposed to in media, including sex, violence and racial and gender stereotypes. African-American parents voiced somewhat less concern, with white parents expressing the least worry among ethnic groups. Common Sense’s study represents an essential view into the media habits of children in the United States. That in turn has helped inform parents, educators, policymakers, pediatricians, and media creators as they make decisions about important matters affecting children, such as what types of educational media to produce and how much screen time to recommend. Building off this, Common Sense Media hopes their study will help families navigate the changing technological landscape by teaching children to be critical thinkers and have a balanced approach to media usage.

Rideout, V. (2017). The Common Sense census: Media use by kids age zero to eight. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/csm_zerotoeight_fullreport_release_2.pdf