New Study on Student Media Habits
March 21, 2011
A new report finds that children are using media more than ever before on a variety of platforms. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center examined media usage patterns in young children to determine how much time they spend with technology outside of the classroom.
“Always Connected: The new digital media habits of young children,” says children’s media habits have changed over the years and continue to grow at a rapid pace as new technology emerges is integrated into their daily lives; however, television remains their primary media source.
Nearly nine out of 10 children over the age of five watch television at least three hours a day. Always Connected says DVD viewing is in second place for weekday media use in children, followed by:
3. Internet minutes
4. MP3 minutes
5. Video game console
6. Handheld video game
7. Read books
8. Texting
Virtually every household in America owns a television, yet not every child has access to new technology devices. The report notes, “ About two-thirds of families with children under age 11 have computers, and virtually every family that owns a computer has an internet connection. More than half have some type of video game system. And about three-quarters of families have cell phones.”
The new findings provide pivotal insights into the lives of young children to help educators better connect with students via innovative lessons. Technology is often cited for its promise to transform lives and it has often delivered. When it comes to children and technology, research and public debate often revolve around the negative impact of children being constantly connected. Always Connected hopes to start a new conversation shifting from how much time kids spend consuming media to the quality of those media experiences.