Parents say they spend hours on screens

Many see their habits as positive for their children

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 this week.

Among 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’s Center on Media and Human Development 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). Latinos are more diligent in managing it than other parents, checking devices and social media accounts more often.

It was the gap between how much adults use media and what that might mean for their offspring that was striking to James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, which helps families and educators assess and use media and technology effectively. The group’s first-ever deep dive on parents’ tech habits mirrors its ongoing analysis of those of children and teenagers.

“I found the numbers astounding, the sheer volume of technology used by parents,” Steyer said. “There’s really a big disconnect between their own behavior and their self-perception, as well as their perception of their kids.”

The range of activities includes TV or other video viewing; video gaming; social networking or website browsing, and any other task on a computer, smartphone or tablet. Media consumed with a child or another family member along with solo use is included in the screen tally, according to Common Sense Media.

Personal media usage by educational level ranges from about nine hours for parents with a high school degree or less to about six hours for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

White parents averaged six hours and 38 minutes on personal media, with Latinos spending about 2 hours more and AfricanAmerican parents four hours more.

But nearly all parents, 94 percent, believe technology is helpful for children’s schoolwork and education, with 89 percent agreeing it will prepare youngsters for 21st-century jobs.