Children Have Become Media Junkies
Our children have become media junkies. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a study of children ages 8 to 18, which found, not surprisingly, that they are consuming a astounding amount of media entertainment each day. Children now consume an average of 7 ½ hours per day or 52 ½ hours per week of media saturation.
Consider the average daily media consumption of U.S. children according to the study:
- Listening to music: 151 minutes
- Watching television: 270 minutes
- Playing video games: 73 minutes
- Talking on cell phones: 33 minutes
- Text messaging: 90 minutes
- Nonschool computer use: 89 minutes
Do you find these numbers surprising?
Do they alarm you?
If the numbers are what they are, how does this impact the way we attempt to reach this generation with the Gospel?
Your thoughts? Do we run from this part of culture, ignore it or embrace it?
Source: ON MISSION magazine Summer 2010, from Kaiser Family Foundation, February 1, 2010.
