Parents binge – but say they’re good role models

Moms, dads spend over nine hours a day in front of some kind of screen

los angeles» Parents spend more than nine hours a day with TVs, computers and other screen devices while also giving themselves high marks as role models for their children’s media use, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Among all those surveyed — nearly 1,800 parents in the U.S. — daily screen time averaged nine hours and 22 minutes, with the bulk of that, seven hours and 43 minutes, categorized as personal screen time and the other roughly 90 minutes spent on work.

The study also found they were enthusiastic about technology’s role in their kids’ lives but wary of the risks it may hold, including loss of sleep and online oversharing. Researchers from the nonprofit Common Sense Media group and Northwestern University conducted the project.

Two-thirds of those surveyed, 67 percent, said monitoring their children’s devices and social media accounts is more important than allowing them privacy.

Another finding: Latino and black parents expressed more concern about their kids’ media use (66 and 65 percent, respectively) than white ones (51 percent).

It was the gap between how much adults use media and what that might mean for their offspring that was particularly striking to James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. “I found the numbers astounding, the sheer volume of technology used by parents. There’s really a big disconnect between their own behavior and their self-perception, as well as their perception of their kids,” Steyer said. “Yet 78 percent of all parents believe they are good media and technology role models for their children,” according to a survey summary.