Teenagers and “tweens” are clocking an average of six to nine hours of screen time a day on TVs, computers, and mobile devices, according to researchers with Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that rates and reviews media by age level for parents.
The findings come from a “census” by the group of media usage by children ages 8 to 18 across the United States. Although the bulk of this report concerns young people’s use of media for purposes other than school or homework, the survey included a series of questions about the use of various types of media for homework, as well as questions about multitasking with media while doing homework.
The data indicate that use of computers for homework is fairly common, but use of cellphones and tablets is less so. Combined, teens spend an average of 46 minutes a day using these screen platforms for homework, while tweens spend 15 minutes. Most young people who use media while doing their homework think it doesn’t make a difference in their workexcept for listening to music, which most students say actually improves the quality.
