Children and teenagers in the US are spending more time than ever on screens and social media - not least as a result of the corona pandemic, a survey by Common Sense Media shows. Total screen use among teens and twenty-somethings increased by 17 percent between 2019 and 2021. This means that it grew faster than in the previous four years. On average, daily screen use increased to five hours and 33 minutes between ages eight and twelve. Previously it was four hours and 44 minutes. For 13 to 18 year olds it is a new high of eight hours and 39 minutes. This value was already very high at seven hours and 22 minutes.
Little income, a lot of screen time for the children
The increases most likely reflect the difficulties families have suffered with school, child care and social interaction during the pandemic, experts said. According to experts, what is particularly worrying is the increased screen use as a result of the use of Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook among children aged eight to twelve. However, users of these platforms must be at least 13 years old in the USA, as the law prohibits the collection of data from children.
Although technology use is increasing overall, screen use is longest among children from low-income families and children of color. According to Devorah Heitner, founder of Raising Digital Natives http://raisingdigitalnatives.com, these families have been hit hardest by the pandemic. “Children of parents with low incomes have been hit harder by school closures. In addition, parents went to work in person more often than others. That means they were at home less and the children were left to fend for themselves,” says Heitner.
The current survey also found that boys spent more time in front of screens than girls. This could be due to their affinity for gaming, which can take a lot of time. Experts say the rise in screen use itself isn't necessarily a cause for concern. However, according to Heitner, this is always the case when children maintain contact with their friends during the pandemic.
Videos and television are popular with children instead of writing
The survey, which surveyed 1,306 people between the ages of eight and 18 online, suggests that children did not primarily use screens to stay in touch with their peers. For example, teenagers reported watching videos or watching television for an average of more than three hours a day and gaming for almost two hours a day. Video chats with friends only took 20 minutes. Heitner says it's important to remember what kids aren't doing when they're spending so much time on screens.
“You worry about whether this is replacing activities like sleep, family time, reading and other things that are good for children. This concern is not limited to parents of teenagers. The survey also shows that 64 percent of tweens say they watch videos online every day. 65 percent said they sat in front of the television every day. Among tweens, 38 percent said they used social media. For comparison: in 2019 this value was 31 percent.
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