This week, the Pew Research Center released findings regarding how parents manage screen time for children aged 12 and under. The study revealed that 90% of parents reported their children watch TV, and 61% indicated that their kids occasionally use smartphones. However, only 50% of parents allowed their children to play video games on consoles. While 42% of respondents acknowledged they could improve their management of screen time, 86% stated they implement some rules, albeit inconsistently.
The report does not specify the nature of these rules, raising questions about the duration of screen time, the content viewed, and how parents ensure age-appropriate media consumption. For example, one parent shared a system where their eight-year-old starts each week with tokens, equivalent to $5 or five hours of screen time, which can be supplemented through reading activities.
Additionally, the findings indicated that while parents often enforce time limits, concerns about content seemed to dominate their worries. Approximately 80% of survey participants believe social media does more harm than good for children. Notably, 15% reported their children use TikTok, while significantly fewer engage with platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Meanwhile, 74% of parents watch YouTube with their children, with only 15% claiming their kids do not use the platform at all.
In terms of management strategies, traditional methods such as removing devices or turning off screens were the most common approaches. The study also showed that only 29% of parents permitted their 8 to 10-year-olds to have their own smartphones; however, smartphone ownership increased among teenagers.
Overall, the report underscores the complexity of parental approaches to screen time, emphasizing that strategies may vary without a one-size-fits-all solution.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/798648/how-verge-parents-and-readers-manage-kids-screen-time