Children spend more time messaging each other on phones and websites than talking in person, a survey has revealed. Text messages and social networking sites have become the common mode of youngsters aged 8 to 14.
A survey of modern childhood found that many youngsters are conscious that they are spending too much time on their computers and enjoy themselves the most when playing outside. But the lure (诱惑) of electronic products proves too strong for a quarter, while a fifth say their parents don't like them playing outside because they are worried about strangers and injuries.
The “iGeneration report” suggested that youngsters are increasingly healthconscious and skeptical (持怀疑态度的) of commercialization, including genderbased labelling on toys and pop videos released by singers. More than half of those questioned care about eating healthily and one in 10 lectures their own parents about the food they are eating or buying, 42 percent of those questioned own a smartphone, with 36 percent admitting spending more time communicating with friends via instant messaging, such as texts or networking websites, than talking in person. Only one child in 100 said that being happy, having a loving family and being clever were taken as the most crucial (决定性的) elements in their lives.
Cary Cooper, the professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said social media were contributing to youngsters becoming more independent. They had a sense of individuality due to exposure to a range of media.
The survey follows major statebacked research which found that youngsters are turning their back on drink, drugs and smoking. It found a dramatic drop in the number of secondary school students trying and regularly using drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Some analysts said that thanks to the rise of social media, millions of teenagers are spending their time at home in their rooms rather than out on the streets.
