American parents seek to curb Internet use among children

Internet Use Among U.S. Kids

Parents in the United States are limiting their children's use of the Internet and television in almost equal terms, a new survey shows. The University of Southern California's Center for the Digital Future surveyed through phone calls and online forms some 1,926 participants aged 12 and over to look for patterns and attitudes of Americans regarding online and TV use.  The survey revealed that about 60 percent of American parents limit watching television as a form of punishment while 57 percent of U.S. households restrict the use of the Internet among their kids. American parents view the Internet as taking away valuable time their kids spend in person with their playmates and friends. So-called "face-time", the time spent by families interacting face-to-face has been significantly reduced, the survey says. About ten years ago, American families spent 26 hours per week on average together. By 2010, this figure dropped to less than 18 hours each week. The researchers said this was possibly due to a shift from real world to online activities. A separate survey by the center showed that half of those active in online communities consider them to be just as important as their real-world contacts.

"With all the digital diversions out there, it's hard to pin this on any one thing, but it seems clear that online social networks are replacing family face time," Michael Gilbert, a senior fellow at the center, said in a news release. "We need to make sure families are reinforced rather than weakened in the digital future." Center for the Digital Future director Jeffrey Cole says the survey findings reflect their outlook that American parents find the growing use of the Internet and modern gadgets by their kids as worrisome at the very least.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday December 29 2010, 2:44 AM EST. Ref: Health Day. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0