Ahead of the weekend, Common Sense announced the release of The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight, the third installment in an ongoing series of national surveys tracking the use of media and technology among U.S. children from birth to age 8.
Among the key findings is the spike in the number of young children who have their own tablet device (now 42 percent, up from 1 percent in 2011) and the amount of time children age 0 to 8 are spending with mobile devices (48 minutes, up from just five minutes in 2011).
The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight is based on a large, nationally representative sample of respondents and replicates methods from 2011 and 2013 to gauge how media environments and behaviors have changed over the years. At a time of revolutionary change in the media landscape, the study is the only one of its kind, tracking young children’s use of new mobile media devices and apps along with older media platforms such as television, computers, and books.
In light of the new research, Common Sense is launching a series of new PSAs featuring actor Will Ferrell as a continuation of its ongoing #DeviceFreeDinner campaign. The campaign challenges parents and kids to put down their devices during dinnertime and enjoy in-person conversation. The new ads were developed in partnership with Bay Area advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
“In today’s tech-driven world, where things are moving so quickly, it is really important to step back and take a hard look at what technology kids are using and how they are using it,” said James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense. “Over the last six years, we have seen massive growth in media use and tablet ownership, and we haven’t even begun to experience the explosion of new technologies like virtual reality and voice-activated assistants in our homes. If we want to ensure our kids develop well and are successful in life, we have to make sure they get the most out of tech while protecting them from potential risks — and that means paying close attention to the role media is playing in their lives.”
To check out the full report, click here.
