How Many Hours Do American Kids Spend Online?

According to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, American kids now spend more than half of their waking lives using electronic devices connected to the internet and television.

The new research, based on interviews with 3,000 kids aged 8 to 18, states that kids spend an average of seven and a half hours a day using some type of electronic device, including smart phones, computers, and televisions.

How Many Hours Do American Kids Spend Online?

In addition, the study suggests that kids spend so much time multi-tasking that they actually use these devices for a combined time of 11 hours per day. Much of the rise in total usage can be accounted to social networking services and devices, the Kaiser Foundation claimed in its January 20, 2010, press release.

The study also shows some degree of correlation between academic success and how much time kids spend online. Those who spend more than 16 hours per day online were twice as likely to have C’s or lower in school than those who spend less than 3 hours per day online.

Only 30% of kids reported having rules about internet and TV usage set by their parents. Those kids who reported having parents who set limits on electronic devices reported using them for an average of three fewer hours per day than those whose parents did not set limits.