Survey: Parents binge on media, say they're good role models
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Parents spend more than nine hours a day with TVs, computers and other screen devices while also giving themselves high marks as role models for their children's media use, according to a survey released Tuesday.
The study also found they were enthusiastic about technology's role in their kids' lives but wary of the risks it may hold, including loss of sleep and online oversharing.
The range of activities includes TV or other video viewing; video gaming; social networking or website browsing, and any other task on a computer, smartphone or tablet.
Personal media usage by educational level ranges from about nine hours for parents with a high school degree or less to about six hours for those with a bachelor's degree or higher.
The top concerns among all parents about potential adverse media effects included the fear that children may become technology addicts (56 percent of parents); that their physical activity will be affected (50 percent) and their face-to-face communication and sleep habits will be hurt (both 34 percent).
When it comes to kids' online activities, parents worry about how much time is spent (43 percent), how much personal information is shared (38 percent) and whether youngsters are being exposed to pornography or violent images or videos (both 36 percent).