Minority Children Spend 13 Hours A Day Plugged In

A new study out of Northwestern University finds that minority children in the U.S. spend most of their waking hours – and average of 13 hours a day – using computers, mobile devices, TVs and other media. That’s about 4.5 hours more than white kids, the report says.

Researchers tracked media use by kids 6 to 18 and then analyzed the data to to find out how black, Hispanic, Asian American and white youth use media for both homework and fun – and for how long they’re plugged in each day.

Included in the findings are some alarming stats: Among 8- to 18-year-olds, Asian Americans logged the most media use (13 hours, 13 minutes a day), followed by Hispanics (13 hours), blacks (12 hours, 59 minutes), and whites (8 hours, 36 minutes.)

Researchers are unclear as to why there’s such a disparity, though a couple of experts have their own theories. Frederick Zimmerman, chair of the department of Health Services at UCLA School Of Public Health, told USA Today: “Children may turn to media if they feel their neighborhoods lack safe places to play or if their parents have especially demanding jobs that prevent engagement.”

(Photo: Ciaran Griffin)