Media and youth: access, exposure, and privatization
1Department of Communication, Stanford University, Stanford 94305, California, USA. droberts@leland.stanford.edu
Summary
U.S. youth spend significant time with various media, averaging over 6 hours daily, with multitasking increasing this to 8 hours. This extensive media exposure, often without parental supervision, warrants further investigation into its effects.
Area of Science:
- Media Studies
- Adolescent Health
- Child Development
Background:
- Adolescent media consumption is pervasive, with significant implications for development.
- Understanding the scope and context of media exposure is crucial for public health.
- Previous research has not fully captured the breadth of media types and multitasking behaviors.
Framework:
- Cross-sectional national random sample of 2065 adolescents (ages 8-18).
- Inclusion of oversamples for African-American and Hispanic youth to ensure diverse representation.
- Comprehensive questionnaires assessing usage of diverse media forms.
Implementation:
- Data collected via self-report questionnaires on media use (TV, video, movies, computers, video games, audio, print).
- Analysis focused on overall media exposure, multitasking, and variations by demographics.
- Examination of the social context, including parental presence during media use.
Implications:
- U.S. youth dedicate substantial waking hours to media, exceeding other activities.
- Media exposure levels and patterns differ significantly across age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
- High levels of media use, particularly without parental supervision, highlight the need for parental awareness and further research on developmental impacts.
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