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Survey Shows Extent of Digital Device Use Among America's Youngest (pewresearch.org) 6

A Pew Research Center survey, released today, found that TV remains the dominant screen for American children aged twelve and younger. 90% of parents reported that their child watches TV. Tablets are used by 68% of children in this age group. 61% use smartphones.

The survey of U.S. parents also documented emerging technology patterns. About one in ten parents said their child between five and twelve years old uses AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini. Roughly four in ten parents reported that their child uses voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. YouTube appeared in 85% of households. Half of parents said their child uses gaming devices. About four in ten reported desktop or laptop use. The survey found that 62% of parents said their child under two watches television. 42% of parents said they could be doing better at managing screen time for their children.
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Survey Shows Extent of Digital Device Use Among America's Youngest

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  • TV is not old TV (Score:5, Interesting)

    by PDXNerd ( 654900 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2025 @12:10PM (#65712136)

    People say "I was raised with TV and I'm fine!" but when kids in the 1950s->pre-netflix era watched TV you typically had a serial stream of crap to choose from, with cartoons on at certain socially-acceptable times of day (normally after school or saturday mornings only). Older demographic advertisements made more money so kids either watched that crap or, more likely, turned it off and did something else. "Good" video games that could keep your attention for hours (lets say mid-90s) started to change this equation but even still, it wasn't ubiquitous and many kids didn't like the games that offerred this level of immersion.
     
    My kids have a thousand, *good* cartoons to choose from, just on Netflix, not to mention *every disney movie ever made*, 35 seasons of the Simpsons, and the thousands of other good programs on Disney, not even talking about the free shit you find on a typical smart TV (and I'm not even adding in the Youtube app on the TV which is a whole other thing).
     
    4K HDR Dolby Sound Screen Time now is addictive in ways it NEVER was in the past, so yes, we do have a harder time as parents in the 2020s managing screen time than parents did 20 or 30 or more years ago. "My friend has a phone and can play as much as they want" arguments don't help either. Digital Interactivity has reached Drug Addiction levels and its hard to be able to know when to draw the line.

  • by skam240 ( 789197 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2025 @12:55PM (#65712252)

    Now ask how often their children are playing outdoors.

  • by dysmal ( 3361085 ) on Wednesday October 08, 2025 @12:58PM (#65712260)

    "Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?"

    • by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
      Child protection services en :( we don't hit children
      • by GoTeam ( 5042081 )

        Child protection services en :( we don't hit children

        The year 3000 was a different time. We can't compare it to our current morals.

  • Teaches algebra to kids barely old enough to count. Highly recommend. No I do not get a cut

    https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdragonbox.com%2F [dragonbox.com]

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