The Statistics
There have been multiple studies conducted probing the relationship between development and the use of technology in children. Here are some of the findings.
- Children spend an average of 7.5 hours a day engaging in technology. (Kraiser Foundation 2010)
- More than 7.5 million American children under the age of 13 have joined Facebook. (Consumer Reports)
- More than 90% of American children have an online history by the age of two. (Consumer Reports)
- More than 50% of American children regularly interact with a computer or tablet device by the age of five. (Consumer Reports)
- Many children regularly play video games by the age of eight. (Consumer Reports)
- Teenagers text an average of 3,400 times a month.
- Adolescent girls that use texting, instant messaging and other social media to discuss their problems, particularly romantic difficulties, become much more depressive than adolescent girls not using technology to speak about their problems. (Dr. Larry Rosen, Psychologist)
- Increased media exposure, including television, movies, video games, and the Internet, was associated with violent behavior and isolation. It reported that children who watched violent shows were not only more likely to be aggressive, but also to have fewer friends and to be secluded socially. (Dr. Larry Rosen, Psychologist)
- Adolescents who demonstrated Internet addiction scored higher for obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression, generalized and social anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, introversion, and many other disorders. (International Center for Media & the Public Agenda)
- The youth who were determined to have an Internet addiction rated their parents as lacking in love and nurturance, being over-invested, unresponsive, angry, and severe disciplinarians. (International Center for Media & the Public Agenda)
- For every hour a child under 2 spends in front of a screen, he or she spends about 50 minutes less interacting with a parent, and about 10 percent less time in creative play. (Pediatrics Association)