Kids Prefer Personal Devices Over TV, Dessert

My little brother once had a memorable meltdown because he couldn’t see his favorite TV show as it didn’t come on for a few more hours. That was in 1963. Thirty years later, he found his own children were completely used to picking out what TV shows or movies to watch on their own time, as many times as they wanted, on home video. Now the next generation uses hand-held devices to not only watch what they want at any time, but to play games, find new entertainment, and interact with friends -instead of the people in the same room with them. Miner & Co. Studio conducted research on the viewing habits of children, and have shared their findings.    

Mobile devices are so popular with kids that nearly half of the 800 parents quizzed by Miner & Co. reported that they confiscate their kids' tablets when they act up and make them watch TV instead, thereby fostering a sort of Pavlovian response that equates TV with punishment. (That these parents simply don't restrict their kids' access to video altogether when they misbehave suggests that they're raising a generation of spoiled content junkies, but that's another story.)

Some kids are so obsessed with the small screen that they'll even forego treats for another few minutes with their portable video device. When given the choice between spending quality time with the tablet or having dessert, 41% of the parents surveyed said their kids would pick the screen over the snack.

These findings may explain the drop in Nielsen ratings for children’s television shows this year. You can read more about the study at Ad Age, and see the accompanying video here. What I’d like to see is a study that contrasts these results with families in which children do not own their own tablets and smartphones. Considering the costs, there are surely many families like that still around.

(Image credit: Flickr user redagainPatti)