Survey finds over half of grassroots children exceed recommended screen time
A survey by the Society for Community Organization found that more than half of grassroots children spend over two hours daily on screens for entertainment, with average screen time at 6.19 hours. Arguments over device use affected 65 per cent of children, and calls have been made for government lim
More than half of grassroots children spend over two hours a day on electronic devices for entertainment, with 65 per cent having fought with their parents over screen time, a survey has found.
Conducted by the Society for Community Organization (SoCO) between February and July, the survey collected 254 questionnaires from primary and secondary school students from grassroots families. It found that 73.2 per cent of respondents described themselves as frequent users of e-gadgets, with nearly 80 per cent naming smartphones as their most-used device.
Online homework topped the list of uses at more than 73 per cent, followed by watching videos at 71.7 per cent and video games at 57.9 per cent. Average screen time among children was 6.19 hours a day, with a median of four hours. Entertainment took the largest share at 2.61 hours a day, with over half of respondents exceeding the Department of Health's recommended limit of under two hours.
Screen time rose sharply with age, from 4.53 hours a day among children aged 6 to 8 to 8.53 hours among those aged 15 to 18. SoCO assistant director Wong Chi-yuen said electronic devices served both as a homework tool and as the cheapest entertainment for students from low-income families.
Arguments over device use affected 65 per cent of the children surveyed, with 63 per cent of those fights sparked by criticism of how long they played. Some 33.5 per cent of children also admitted that the disputes had increased tension with their parents. Lee, a mother of a 14-year-old with attention deficit disorder, said her son became hooked on games and videos after she bought him a tablet and phone for secondary schoolwork, and she recalled being shoved when she interrupted his gaming for dinner and a suicide threat when she took his phone.
SoCO organiser Lau Yin-shan called for the government to study mainland and overseas practices for limiting children's screen time, suggesting age-based time limits and restrictions on algorithm-driven recommendations for minors. SoCO deputy director Sze Lai-shan added that for many low-income families, extracurricular activities are out of reach, and she called on the government to allocate more resources and staffing for school-based activities aimed at grassroots families, and to expand parent education to reduce family conflict.