Toddlers Watch Three Hours Of TV Daily

Eight out of 10 toddlers and preschoolers watch television on a typical day, according to The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Children ages 2-5 watch an average of three hours and 33 minutes of television daily.

School-age children watch slightly less TV than preschoolers; kids ages 6-11 watch seven fewer minutes of TV and video than those ages 2-5. TV makes up almost half of kids’ media use. A quarter of five-year-olds have TV sets in their bedrooms, and by age eight more than half do.

When they’re young, at least, much of children’s TV viewing is educational and geared specifically to their age group: public television programs account for 13% of morning viewing among kids ages five and younger, while Nickelodeon makes up 27% and the Disney Channel 16%.

Older children are quickly becoming comfortable with alternative and portable video formats; among kids ages 8-18, 20% of total video viewing occurs via mobile phones or online. [Youth, Television, Mass Media]

Source: “Always Connected: The New Digital Media Habits of Young Children,” Lori Takeuchi, Director of Research, The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Sesame Workshop, 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023; 212-595-3456; cooney.center@sesameworkshop.org; www.joanganzcooneycenter.org

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