Families and Media Literacy Research Forum Cockle Bay, Sydney Tuesday 23 September 2008

Margaret Cupitt Researcher, Strategic Research Section Media use by young people

Benefits of media use Benefits of media use Research design Research design Access issues Access issues Use of electronic media by young people aged 8-17 years Use of electronic media by young people aged 8-17 years - TV, internet, mobile phones - TV, internet, mobile phones Age and gender differences Age and gender differences Questions anddiscussion Questions and discussion

He has a learning/reading problem. Since he has been on the net, his reading is now up a year. Parent – benefit of the internet He helps us stay up-to-date by talking about what he is looking at. Parent – benefit of the internet I feel happier to let her have more independence as she can contact me. Parent – benefit of mobile phone

Benefits of electronic media and communications technologies Internet - 96% of parents with internet at home Television - 82% of parents Mobile phones - 80% of parents whose child used a mobile phone

Research design When March - June 2007 Sample national representative sample of 751 family households with young people aged 8-17 years Method telephone survey with parents (n=751 households) 3-day time-use diary completed by 8-17 year olds (n=1,003) from 751 family homes day-4 diary questions completed by 8-17 year olds (n=1,055) on the day after completing the 3-day time-use diary

Access to electronic media in family households, 2007 (% of households n=751) About 90% of homes 48% to 83% of homes Less than 33% of homes Television99%Any games device83%Digital free TV32% Computer/laptop98%Game console77%Subscription TV32% DVD player97%Portable MP3/4 player76%Portable DVD player27% Mobile phone97%Broadband internet76%DVD recorder23% Internet91%Mobile phone (advanced)56%Portable MP4 player17% VCR89%Hand-held games device48%Hard-drive recorder13%

Broadband = more online activities, 2007 (% participation by 8-17 year olds, n=1,055)

Family households without broadband internet, 2007 (n=165 homes)

Use of discretionary (free) time, 2007 (average proportion of aggregate discretionary time)

Electronic media activities, 2007 (average proportion of discretionary time - age)

Electronic media activities, 2007 (average proportion of discretionary time - gender)

Questions?

Television viewing, 2007 (average time spent viewing per day)

Comparison of internet with TV, 2007 (average time spent viewing per day – total sample)

Internet use, 2007 (average time spent online per day – by users)

Internet activities, 2007 (average time spent per day)

Internet use–where and who with, 2007 (proportion of time spent online)

Mobile phone use, 2007 (average time spent using mobiles per day – by users)

Mobile phone ownership, 2007 (proportion of young people n=1,055)

Mobile phone activities, 2007 (proportion of young people n=1,055)

Time-use diary methodology captured a range of electronic media and other leisure activities identified where young people were, and who they are with, while doing activities gave detailed time-use data in 15 minute time slots covered every day of the week (during school term) gave a measure of multiple activities an indication of multi-tasking

Questions and discussion questions? implications and observations? value of the research? insights from other research? knowledge gaps?