In one of the most comprehensive studies into screen time recently, a new Ofcom survey reveals a lot about children’s viewing habits. Some is not so alarming, or surprising, such as the revelation that children view most of their content online, with conventional TV reserved for family appointment viewing. That sounds like our family, with shows like Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor.
Some other parts are the sort of revelations that can give parents panic attacks. Such as these stats, reported by Sky:
- Children aged between five and 15 in the UK now spend 20 minutes more online than watching television during a typical day
- Some children find it “too much effort” to interact in real-life with friends and prefer to spend their free time on their own at home
- 35% of 12 to 15-year-olds agreed they find it difficult to moderate their screen time, up from 27% last year
BritMums went on Sky News to talk about the survey. Co-founder Jennifer Howze talked about the results from a parent’s point of view. Her 15-year-old daughter Lillian gave a teen’s eye view of screen time.
Below, excerpts from the appearance. Looking for help on screen time in your household? Check out these 6 tips for managing screen time.
Do you worry about screen time with your children? Tell us what’s on your mind when it comes to their mobiles, tablets and computers.
6 tips for managing screen time with your children
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BritMums is the UK’s original collective of lifestyle bloggers and digital influencers, fueling the country’s most influential social content. We lead the online conversation with members who are parent social influencers creating content on topics ranging from food, parenting, travel, politics, style and more.
Toni Hargis (Expat Mum)
Thursday 7th of February 2019
My 15 year old son has too much homework at the moment to be on the screen much, but when he is - he watches really geeky stuff like NASA etc. It's hard to scold him when it's actually incredibly informative.
Susanna Scott
Thursday 7th of February 2019
On the flip side, I've seen my girls waste tons of time scrolling through Instagram pics of clothes. Safe content, but you don't need hours of it!