mSchools (Connecting Parents & Schools): Technology Affecting Kids

Wednesday 30 April 2014

Technology Affecting Kids

By Katie Lepi

Technology brings so many awesome things into our lives. A world of information is at our fingertips, not much is out of reach, and there is seemingly a new, awesome, must-have devicereleased every week. We all hear stories of parents who park their kids in front of a TV or computer so they can get things done, and while the kids generally love it, it has taken us awhile to ask important questions about what effect media and devices are having on our kids.

The handy infographic below takes a look at the effect of media and technology on kids in the US . Some of the statistics are pretty concerning – especially pertaining to the amount of exposure that kids have to media and devices these days. Keep reading to learn more. Weigh in by leaving a comment below, mentioning @Edudemic on Twitter or leaving your thoughts on our Facebook page.

How Is Technology Affecting Kids?

Children under age 2 spend twice the amount of time watching TV as they spend with books
42% of kids age 0-8 have a TV in their room
70% of daycare centers use a TV as a regular part of the day
Kids spend about 110 minutes per day watching TV, and a little over 90 minutes watching DVDs or movies
73% of parents say they’d like to limit their child’s TV watching
66% talk to their kids about the dangers of social media sites
53% count on their kid to tell them if there is a problem online
43% follow their kids on social media
39% set parental privacy settings
Parents’ biggest concern with social media is violation of privacy
79% of teachers use social media as a teaching and learning tool
74% say incorporating tablets would be helpful, 26% say it would be a distraction to learning
Teachers feel that students’ attention span is what is most affected by media