Generation M is for Media – Thesis Research
Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds
The following are excerps from a recent study sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation Study of Entertainment Media & Health:
“Young people [8-18] today live media-saturated lives, spending an average of nearly 6.5 hours a day with media. Across the seven days of the week, that amount is the equivalent of a full-time job, with a few extra hours thrown in for overtime (44.25 hours a week).” Over 28% of this time is devoted to the computer, not including schoolwork, and videogames. That is the equivalent to ONE THIRD of a regular workweek!
“The typical 8-18 year-old lives in a home with an average of 3.6 CD or tape players, 3.5 TVs, 3.3 radios, 2.9 VCRs/DVD players, 2.1 video game consoles, and 1.5 computers.”
“The majority of young people say their parents don’t impose any rules on them regarding their use of TV, video games, music, or computers.”
“Young people’s use of “new” media such as computers and video games does not seem to displace their use of “old” media such as TV and music.”
“About a quarter (26%) of the time young people are using one medium, they’re doing something else media-related at the same time (such as listening to music while using the computer, or watching TV while reading a magazine).”
“This study is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,032 3rd to 12th grade students…”
Comments
Wow! When I was younger, my parents only allowed us to watch one TV show each day during the schoolweek, and our computer use was limited to 1hr at a time, after which we were encouraged to "get up and do something else." I think it still affects me (for better or worse), as I find it hard to work at a computer for more than a couple of hours without a significant break in between (one of the reasons I left a career of computer programming behind).
Posted by: msteffen![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://interactive.usc.edu/members/asacher/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 27, 2005 01:01 AM
My parents didn't really limit my brother and I's media consumption. We had to do all of our homework, of course, but we had all the gaming systems, i was a bbs and internet freak when that was getting started (forcing my parents to get a second phone line), my family listened to music together a lot, even when i was going through my hard-core rap phase, and we watched our fair share of family sitcoms.
Posted by: kellee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://interactive.usc.edu/members/asacher/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 28, 2005 03:28 PM