A survey conducted a few months back revealed that many parents were concerned about
the impact of technology on their children. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these
concerns, as parents were forced to deal with increased screen time and the lack of
childcare. A follow-up survey conducted revealed that a growing number of parents reported
that their children were using digital devices and social media sites.
Specifically, more parents reported that their young children were using tablets,
smartphones, and game consoles than in the previous year, with TikTok being the most
popular social media site.
However, parents also expressed growing concerns about the amount of time their children
were spending on these devices. Parents of children aged five to 11 were more likely to
report device and social media use than parents of younger children. The pandemic has had
a significant impact on children's technology use, and parents remain concerned about the
potential negative effects of this increased screen time.
The article discusses the results of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center on the
use of digital devices and social media among young children in the United States during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Center surveyed parents about their children's use of technology
and found that many were concerned about the impact of increased screen time on their
kids' social skills and development.
Later in time, the Center followed up with the same group of parents to see how their
children's use of digital devices and social media had changed during the pandemic. The
results of the survey showed that more parents reported their young children using digital
devices and social media than before. Specifically, around 81% of parents with children aged
11 or younger said their child had used or interacted with a tablet computer, while 71% said
their child had used a smartphone.
TikTok was the most commonly reported social media site used by young children, with 21%
of parents reporting their children using the app. There were also slight increases in the
share of parents reporting their child using Instagram and Facebook, while Snapchat use
remained relatively stable. Additionally, the proportion of parents reporting their child using a
social media site other than TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram roughly doubled.
Despite these increases, there were some differences in the use of digital devices and social
media depending on the age of the child. For example, parents with children under 5 were
less likely to report their children using digital devices or social media. However, there were
double-digit increases in the share of parents reporting their young child using a tablet or
game console.
The survey also found that parents were increasingly concerned about the amount of time
their child was spending on digital devices, particularly playing video games. A quarter of all
parents of young children said their child spent too much time on a smartphone, and 23%
said their child spent too much time playing video games. The share of parents who said their child spent too much time playing video games increased, and there was a jump in the
share of parents who said their young child spent too much time on a smartphone.