America's kids are plugged in! A study released last week by the Kaiser Family Foundation surveyed 2,032 kids ages 8 to 18. It found that children spend about 6 1/2 hours a day using media--television, computers, video games and books.
TV gets the most attention. On average, kids spend nearly four hours a day glued to the tube. Listening to music makes up more than 1 1/2 hours of kids' daily routine. And as new forms of technology are added to the media mix, kids are quick to use them. More than an hour a day is spent using computers for tasks like downloading music and sending instant messages.
"Kids are spending the equivalent of a full-time workweek using media, plus overtime," said Vicky Rideout, the director of the Kaiser foundation's study.