I came across a new report this week by Common Sense Media, a site that “improves the lives of kids and families by providing independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media”. The report unveiled some striking statistics on consumption of social media by tweens (aged 7-12) and teens (aged 13-18). Here are some figures that I found most surprising:

• Teens use an average of 9 hours of entertainment media per day, and Tweens use an average of 6 hours per day. This does not include time spent on homework-related activities.
• TV and music are still dominant, and social media = #meh. Of Teens, 66% listen to music every day, and  58% watch TV. Of Tweens, 62% watch TV every day and 37% listen to music. Only 10% of Teens choose social media as their “favourite” media-related activity.
• Many Teens use media while studying, and most think it has no effect on the quality of their work.

All images from Common Sense Media.

Now… what do I think about this? Yes, the numbers are shocking. Yes, I think my generation and the next will probably suffer from issues related to eyesight, physical posture, even maybe chronic headaches and the like. But it is so difficult to find an appropriate level of consumption in our transition to a more digital world. From my own observation, we began to transition to digital not only because it was “cool”, but because it was first rooted in an environmentally-friendly mandate. By changing more of our textbooks, games, and learning tools to an online platform, it was meant to reduce industrial waste (paper and other stationery). But perhaps we’ve gone too far. For parents, it is easy to hand your kid a tablet instead of carrying several books or games on-the go. The convenience of the digital age is elevating our standards for content on-demand (we want it now!), and in tween & teens’ impressionable lives, it makes a big impact.

As difficult as it may be, I think it is possible to strike a balance between our lives both online and offline. For example, parents could enforce stricter guidelines for digital media use, and partake in activities with their kids outdoors.

One thing that is evident is the plain fact that our lives are becoming more digital, whether we like it or not. The challenge is in maintaining our “human” side.

References:

• Robb, M. (2015, November 2). Tweens, Teens, and Screens: What Our New Research Uncovers. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/tweens-teens-and-screens-what-our-new-research-uncovers
• Common Sense Media. (2015). Media Use by Tweens and Teens: Infographic | Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-infographic