History
The term screen time has been usually referred to in a negative context as the AAP (American Academy Pediatrics) advises parents to limit the screen time for children.[1] The phenomenon itself has existed since the technology has been available to the general public. The installation of television by Americans was more rapid over the 1950’s than any other information and communication technology to come before.[1] With the increase in the technological advances, the use of devices consisting of screens, such as TV, computers, laptops and cell phones, increased resulting in the increase in screen time. In the late 1990’s, adolescents spent an average of 1.5 to 2.5 hours per day watching television.[2] Similar averages are present across nations North America and Europe as well as Japan and Korea.[2] Experts have suggested that excessive screen time is harmful especially if the content is violent. Several many attempts have been made to reduce or control screen time. In the 1970’s the “television-free” movement emerged which appeal to reduce the screen time.[1] The Children’s Television Act (1990) provide the children with more educational programming and the Telecommunication Act of 1996 grant parents a way to control the television content.[2] Both of the Acts put restrictions on how the screen time is used.
Internet and Screen Time
The use of internet expanded in the 1990’s. This caused the increase in the usage of devices that could access the internet and the increase in screen time. In 2001 an average user spent 83 minutes online.[3] By 2010, twenty two percent of the world’s population had access to the computer. The internet allows users to communicate, watch videos, and find information needed. That is why a lot of screen time is spent watching videos online by the users. According to YouTube, in February 2006, 15 million videos a day were watched while 20,000 videos were uploaded. [4] However, in March of 2010, an average of 24 hours of video was uploaded in a minute.[4]
Screen time has become more common because of media convergence. Media convergence combines TV, computer and mobile devices. The consumers are able to obtain different services from single platform or Traditional media is moving online. [5] Traditional media is moving online. The content that was only available on the television is available on portable devices with the internet. This allows users to access media from any place at any time.
Video Games and Screen Time
One of the ways that people spend screen time is playing video games. Although the video games have been around for a while, it was in the 1970’s when video game console was first invented. This was a very popular product when it first came and many people took interest in this. After that the growth and evolution of new programmes and games was very rapid. It has become a part of many people’s lives. Playing video games either on a console or a computer has become a part of routine for some. The ESA (Entertainment Software Association) researched the demographics of the computer and the video game industry the estimated 51% of the American households own a dedicated game console and 42% of Americans play regularly.[6] So almost 160 million Americans play video games. Both genders take part in these statistics. Out these players 56 percent are male and 44 percent are female players.[6] The average teenage boy today spends more than thirteen hours a week playing video games, compared with five hours a week per average teenage girl.[7] Most believe that teenagers are the ones playing these video games. However, the average age of the video game player was 35 years old and 27% players are older the 50 years of age. [6] The most frequent users spend on average six and a half hour playing online and about five hours are spent playing in-person with others.[6]
- ^ a b c Alper, Meryl (2014). John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Reports on Digital Media and Learning : Digital Youth with Disabilities. Cambridge, US: The MIT Press. pp. 19–20 – via www.ebrary.com.
- ^ a b c 2- Anderson, D. R., & Larson, R. (2001). Early childhood television viewing and adolescent behavior: The recontact study (Vol. 66). Boston, MA: Blackwell. pp. 25, 133
- ^ 3- "World Wide Web Timeline". Pews Research Center. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2016
- ^ a b "YouTube: a history". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
- ^ Dwyer, Tim (2010). Media Convergence. Maidenhead, Great Britain: Open University Press. pp. 1–4.
- ^ a b c d "2015 Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry" (PDF). www.theesa.com. Entertainment Software Association. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
- ^ Leonard, Sax (2016). Boys Adrift : The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. New York, US: Basic Books. p. 58 – via www.ebrary.com.