Middle and High School Transitions: Teen Internet Realities
What You Need to Know
Teens can be exposed to screens all day, and sometimes all night, long. Consider the following statistics:
- 31% of teens have their own personal computer and more than 60% of American households have a computer. (Kaiser Permanente, 2005)
- Teens spend nearly 6.5 hours a day (45 hours per week) using media (Kaiser Permanente, 2005)
- Because they multi-task (using two or more forms of media simultaneously, such as texting while downloading on the Internet), teens are exposed to an average of 8.5 hours of media a day.
- Five million children are addicted to video games.(American Medical Association, 2007)
- 19.6% of young men ages 16 to 24 have gambled online. (Annenberg Risk Survey of Youth, 2005)
- 42% of Internet users between 10 and 17 years of age saw online pornography in the past year; only 2/3 of that number was unwanted.(American Academy of Pediatrics, 2007)
What Parents Can Do
Experts recommend the following early prevention steps to avoid screen addiction in your home.
- Talk regularly with your teens about use of the Internet as well as other screened devices.
- Speak with your children about Internet safety, appropriate online behavior and other issues involved with Internet use.
- Know the score and understand your kids’ online world! Learn about Facebook, IM, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter and the video games they play.
- Set a good example. What Internet sites do you visit? What video games do you play? What appears on your cell phone screen? What activities are you involved in? How often do you choose to speak on the cell phone instead of converse with your child?
Remember the saying, “All things in moderation.” Screened devices can be used appropriately and balanced with other activities.
More Helpful Information and Resources
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