5 Myths About How Teens Use Technology

You’re not imagining it. According to a robust new study from Common Sense Media, both tweens and teens spend an inordinate amount of time on their screens, an average of four and half hours for tweens (from 8 to 12 years of age) and six and half hours for teens (13 to 18 years of age). But those numbers hide a more complex picture, one with some obvious truths and some surprises.

The study looked at a wide range of media-related activities, from old school faves like reading and listening to the radio, through more recent arrivals, such as using social media and video chatting. More than 2,600 kids were surveyed, using a large national sample.

The researchers asked the kids about what devices they used and how much time they spent on them. They also looked at how differences in gender, wealth and race were reflected in media consumption. And they asked how the kids got their media, where they were most likely to turn for videos or music or print.

Here’s a handy graphical representation of what they found: