PR: (SCREEN) TIME OF THEIR LIVES

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It’s the school holidays; a time to enjoy the Spring weather, spend time with the family and … get the screens out. According to recent research conducted by Opinion Compare, parents believe their child[ren] will increase the average daily screen time usage to 3.2 hours and they’re worried.

73% of parents feel that screen time is replacing children’s outdoor / active time, while 78% agreed that if limits weren’t placed on screen time, kids would spend all day on the devices.

Yet in some ways, parents feel like they’re to blame with screens introduced at a young age. When asked when they first introduced their child to screens and screen time, 12% had done so before their child’s first birthday

Question: At what age did you start introducing your child to screens and screen time?

Under 3 months old 1%

3-6 months old 3%

6-12 months old 8%

12-18 months old 12%

8 months - 2 years old 11%

2-3 years old 17%

3-4 years old 11%

4-5 years old 8%

Over 5 years old 24%

This child hasn’t been introduced to screens yet 4%

Furthermore, when asked if parents ever understate the amount of screen time that their children have when speaking to others, 46% of parents admitted to down playing their reliance on screens and devices. This is despite the fact that 71% of parents are extremely concerned about the amount of screen time their children have.

It’s not just the amount of time their children are spending on devices, it’s also what they have access to online. 69% of parents agreed that having strict parental control restrictions in place is imperative for the safety of a child’s time online and 62% worry about who their children are potentially interacting with online. With this in mind, no surprise that 42% are currently using a family filter service to keep their children safe.

This research was conducted online with a total sample size of n=805 New Zealanders, part of the Opinion Compare online research panel.

ENDS

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