The Mass Media and Popular Culture

 

The Media Picture in Numbers:   

w In 1970, 35% of homes had more than one TV set; 6% of sixth-graders had a TV in their bedrooms. In 1999, 88% of homes had more than  one TV set; 77% of sixth-graders had a TV in their rooms.

w The average American child grows up in a home with 3 TVs, 3 tape players, 3 radios, 2 VCRs, 2 CD players, 1 video game player and 1 computer.

w The TV is usually on during meals in 58% of homes with children.

w Two-thirds of children 8 and older have a TV in their bedrooms. One out of five has a computer there as well.

w Children ages 8-13 spend more time with media than those in any other age group: 6 hours a day.

w In a typical week, children spend an average of more than 19 hours watching TV, more than 10 hours listening to music, more than 5 hours reading for pleasure, about 2 hours using computers for fun, and more than 2 hours playing video games.

w On a typical day, one out of every four boys will play an action or combat game like "Doom" or "Duke Nukem."

w 85% of children are able to buy M-rated video games and recordings labeled for explicit content. Fewer than 17% of music and game store clerks ask children their age.

w Slightly more than half of movie theaters enforce the Motion Picture Assn. of America restrictions that children under age 17 must be accompanied by an adult to see R-rated movies; 48% ask children their age; 45% sell tickets to underage children unaccompanied by adults.

 

Sources:

Federal Trade Commission Survey May-July;

2000 and Kids & Media,

 a Kaiser Family Foundation Report, 1999