A new report reveals that teenagers in the U.S. spend more than seven hours a day glued to screens, and that figure doesn’t even include time spent on school assignments. If you have tweens or teens at home, you’re likely well-acquainted with the prevalence of screens in their lives. A study conducted by Common Sense Media indicates that these young individuals are engaging with phones, laptops, and other digital devices for nearly a third of their day.
Tweens aren’t far behind, racking up almost five hours of screen time daily. As parents, we might comfort ourselves with the thought that our kids are using technology for educational purposes. While that’s a legitimate point, the report clarifies that the seven hours for teens and five hours for tweens do not account for academic work. Yikes!
However, before you spiral into a screen-time panic, the findings aren’t all doom and gloom. Common Sense Media surveyed over 1,600 children aged 8 to 18 in the U.S. to analyze their media habits across various platforms. It’s essential to mention that this screen time isn’t necessarily continuous; multitasking is likely happening, with teens and tweens not fixating on their screens for the entire duration.
On a brighter note, co-author of the report, Jenna Rivers, highlighted “huge opportunities” within kids’ digital media use. She explained that these platforms allow young people to seek out information relevant to their lives, utilize apps for meditation or sleep, and connect with peers facing similar challenges.
Yet, the report also emphasizes the risks associated with increased screen time, including exposure to negative online messages, cyberbullying, and potential social isolation. Another key finding is the significant rise in smartphone ownership among tweens and teens, with ownership increasing over 20% since 2015 for tweens and nearly 20% for teens. This surge underscores the importance of engaging in early conversations about media literacy with your children.
You might wonder how kids manage to clock seven hours a day on screens. The answer? Videos. Tweens spend 53% of their screen time watching videos, while teens dedicate 39% of their time to the same activity. As expected, YouTube is the leading platform for this content.
However, a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that television viewing can negatively impact kids’ academic performance, correlating it with lower school success. Fortunately, the research didn’t find evidence that simply browsing on a phone or surfing the internet could jeopardize your child’s academic future.
So what should concerned parents do? Dr. Marcus Linton, a child psychiatrist, advises monitoring specific screen activities and setting boundaries on problematic behaviors, like binge-watching YouTube videos. “Parents need to be more involved in understanding what their kids are doing online,” he stressed.
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In summary, while teens and tweens are spending a significant amount of their time on screens, the implications are multifaceted. Engaging in proactive discussions about media consumption and monitoring specific activities can help ensure that screen time remains a beneficial part of their lives.
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