{"id":8489,"date":"2022-04-28T12:59:04","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T17:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T23:55:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T03:55:59","slug":"how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/28\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"How parents\u2019 views of their kids\u2019 screen time, social media use changed during COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/FT_22.04.26_KidsScreens_feature.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-409111\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Cavan Images via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Pew Research Center fielded a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/07\/28\/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens\/\">survey of U.S. parents<\/a> at the beginning of March 2020, we knew the conversation around children and technology was <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2020\/07\/28\/parents-attitudes-and-experiences-related-to-digital-technology\/#parents-who-say-parenting-is-easier-today-cite-tech-advancements-access-to-more-information-and-advice\">at the forefront<\/a> of many parents\u2019 minds. Yet no one knew just how relevant that conversation would become in the months ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-11470\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/28\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/ft_2022-04-28_kidsandscreens_01-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e6e7e8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e6e7e8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" height=\"453\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?w=310\" alt=\"A chart showing how we studied changes in parental views of kids\u2019 tech use amid COVID-19\" class=\"wp-image-11470 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png 620w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=205,300 205w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=277,405 277w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=200,292 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=260,380 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=310,453 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=420,614 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=160,234 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_01.png?resize=320,468 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first year of the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/topic\/coronavirus-disease-covid-19\/\">coronavirus pandemic<\/a> brought a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2021\/09\/01\/parents-their-children-and-school-during-the-pandemic\/\">variety of challenges<\/a> for parents, from helping their kids manage technology to increased screen time. Those with young children wrestled with a <a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/coronavirus\/2020\/07\/parenting-in-a-pandemic-the-search-for-child-care\/\">lack of child care<\/a> and worried about their kids\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/06\/18\/parenting\/kids-social-needs-quarantine.html\">social skills<\/a> \u2013 concerns that are still relevant today as schools navigate changing circumstances, parents manage changes in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/weekly-shift\/2022\/03\/21\/as-america-returns-to-work-child-care-remains-a-serious-obstacle-00018772\">where and how they work<\/a>, and families <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/health\/2022\/02\/21\/parents-kids-under-5-vaccine\/\">await vaccines<\/a> for children under 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2021, the Center followed up with many of the same parents we surveyed in March 2020 to check in on their children\u2019s use of technology and social media during the pandemic. This second survey focused on parents who had a kid age 11 or younger in 2020, and it was fielded at a time when some schools were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickondetroit.com\/news\/local\/2021\/04\/01\/detroit-public-schools-to-temporarily-switch-to-virtual-learning-after-spring-break\/\">temporarily reverting to virtual learning<\/a> and vaccines were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/im-vaccinated-my-kids-arent-whats-safe-for-us-to-do\">not yet approved<\/a> for children under 12. Below, we take a closer look at what these parents told us about their young child, including how the experiences they reported in 2021 compared with their responses from 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center has long studied changes in parenting and family dynamics, as well as the adoption of digital technologies. This analysis of parents\u2019 experiences with and attitudes about their children\u2019s tech use is based on data from 1,681 parents who had at least one child age 11 or younger as of March 2020 and participated in two surveys conducted on the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP) between spring 2020 and 2021 \u2013 coinciding with the first year of the coronavirus outbreak. The first survey was conducted March 2-15, 2020, and the second was conducted April 12-18, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The questions that are the focus of this analysis asked parents to think specifically about one of their children who was age 11 or younger in March 2020. If the parent had more than one child age 11 or younger at the time of the first survey, they were instructed to think about either their oldest or youngest child in this age group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following terminology is used in this analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Parents of a young child:<\/strong> Refers to parents who had at least one child age 11 or younger when first interviewed in March 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Parents of a child age 0 to 4:<\/strong> Refers to parents whose randomly assigned child was under age 5 (0 to 4) in March 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Parents of a child age 5 to 11: <\/strong>Refers to parents whose randomly assigned child was age 5 to 11 in March 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone who is part of this analysis is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way, nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. Data from the ATP is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/our-methods\/u-s-surveys\/the-american-trends-panel\">ATP\u2019s methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data for this analysis is also adjusted to represent the population of parents with one or more children ages 17 or younger living in their household as of March 2020, and focuses on the subset who had at least one child age 11 or younger at the time, regardless of whether that child lived in their household (referred to as a \u201cyoung child\u201d in this analysis).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Kids-and-screens-amid-COVID-19-Methodology-Topline_FINAL.pdf\">the questions, responses and methodology<\/a> used for this analysis.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-use-of-digital-devices-and-some-social-media-sites\">More use of digital devices and some social media sites<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether a result of the pandemic or simply of other events or changes in a child\u2019s life, the year following our first survey in March 2020 saw a rising share of parents who said their young child had used digital devices and social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-11476\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/28\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/ft_2022-04-28_kidsandscreens_02-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f0f1f1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f0f1f1;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" height=\"625\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?w=420\" alt=\"A line graph showing that the share of parents who say their young child used digital devices, many social media sites \u2013 including TikTok \u2013 was up in 2021 versus 2020\" class=\"wp-image-11476 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=202,300 202w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=768,1143 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=688,1024 688w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=272,405 272w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=200,298 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=260,387 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=310,461 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=420,625 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=640,952 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=740,1101 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=160,238 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_02.png?resize=320,476 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2021, about eight-in-ten parents of a child who was age 11 or younger at the time of the first interview (81%) said their kid ever used or interacted with a tablet computer \u2013 even if just to watch videos or listen to music \u2013 up from 68% in March 2020. About seven-in-ten (71%) said the same thing about their kid\u2019s use of a smartphone, up from 63% the year before. And 51% of parents with a young child said their child used a game console or portable game device in 2021, up slightly from 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the four social media sites the survey covered, the largest share of parents reported that the young child they were asked about used TikTok: 21% said this in April 2021, up from 13% in 2020. There were small changes in the share saying their child used Instagram or Facebook, while Snapchat use stayed virtually the same. And the share who said their young child used a social media site <em>other<\/em> than TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram roughly doubled between 2020 and 2021, from 8% to 17%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social media use differed dramatically depending on the age of the child being followed over time; for example, relatively few parents who had a child under 5 when the pandemic began said this child used social media in either 2020 or 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for some social media sites, there were changes for kids on both ends of this age range. Among parents who had a child age 5 to 11 at the outset of the pandemic, the share who said this child used TikTok rose 11 percentage points (21% in 2020 to 32% in 2021). For parents with a child who was younger than 5 at the time of the first interview, there was a 4-point uptick from 1% to 5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were also double-digit increases in the share of parents answering about a child who was under 5 in March 2020 who said this child used a tablet (51% in 2020 to 69% in 2021) or a game console or portable game device (16% to 29%) over this period. Still, parents of a child this age were far less likely than those whose child was age 5 to 11 at the outset of the pandemic to report use of these digital devices in either year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other variations in kids\u2019 use of devices and social media were also apparent. Even as many kids started using tech in 2021, others were <em>not<\/em> using these things in 2021 when they had in 2020. Among parents with a young child who said their kid had used a smartphone in 2020, for instance, 14% said their child was <em>not<\/em> using one in 2021. Similarly, 19% of parents who said their young child had used a game console or portable game device in 2020 said that child was <em>not<\/em> doing so in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"growing-parental-concerns-about-screen-time\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Growing parental concerns about screen time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid these changes, parents increasingly expressed worry about the amount of time their child was spending on devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-11481\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/28\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/ft_2022-04-28_kidsandscreens_03-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f0f0f1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f0f0f1;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" height=\"469\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?w=420\" alt=\"A line graph showing that over the first year of the pandemic, growing shares of parents of young tech users said their child was spending too much time on video games, smartphones\" class=\"wp-image-11481 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=269,300 269w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=768,858 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=363,405 363w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=200,223 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=260,290 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=310,346 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=420,469 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=640,715 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=740,826 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=160,179 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_03.png?resize=320,357 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about screen time in April 2021, a quarter of <em>all<\/em> parents of a young child said that their child spent too much time on a smartphone; about the same share (23%) said their child spent too much time playing video games; and about one-in-ten (8%) said the same about time on social media sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For parents whose child used a gaming console or portable game device in both 2020 and 2021, the share who said that child spent too much time playing video games rose 20 points over the first year of the pandemic, from 31% to 51%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was also a 14-point jump in the share of parents who said their smartphone-using young child spent too much time on it, from 28% to 42% among those whose child used one in both 2020 and 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-11488\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/28\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/ft_2022-04-28_kidsandscreens_04-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e3e4e5\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e3e4e5;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" height=\"365\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?w=420\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that as COVID-19 went on, some parents shifted their view of child\u2019s screen time from \u2018about right\u2019 to \u2018too much\u2019\" class=\"wp-image-11488 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=300,261 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=768,667 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=466,405 466w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=200,174 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=260,226 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=310,269 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=420,365 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=640,556 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=740,643 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=160,139 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_04.png?resize=320,278 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while majorities of parents whose child used these devices in 2020 initially said their child\u2019s time on them was about right, some parents reported different views on screen time a year later when reinterviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among parents who thought their child\u2019s time playing video games was appropriate in 2020, 44% said the same in 2021 \u2013 but a third said that their child was now spending too much time doing this. Similarly, among those who said their child\u2019s time on smartphones was about right in 2020, about a quarter (26%) said in 2021 that their child was now spending too much time this way; 55% said it was still about right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"some-changes-in-parents-management-of-screen-time\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Some changes in parents\u2019 management of screen time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In both March 2020 and April 2021, majorities of parents whose child was 5 to 11 at the start of the pandemic said they ever checked the websites their child visits or the mobile apps they use; limited the times of day or length of time when this child can use screens; or took away the child\u2019s smartphone or internet privileges as punishment. But the patterns of change over time also show some movement in parents\u2019 approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some 16% of parents with a child this age said they did not limit screen time for this child in 2021, despite having said they did so in 2020. Conversely, 8% of these parents reported limiting their child\u2019s screen time in 2021, after having <em>not <\/em>done this in 2020. There was a similar pattern when it comes to taking away smartphone or internet privileges: 14% of parents who had a 5- to 11-year-old child at the start of the pandemic didn\u2019t do this in 2021 even though they had in 2020, compared with 6% who moved in the opposite direction. <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2021\/09\/01\/parents-their-children-and-school-during-the-pandemic\/#majority-of-parents-of-k-12-children-say-their-kids-are-spending-more-time-in-front-of-screens-39-say-they-have-become-less-strict-about-screen-time\">The Center&#8217;s other work<\/a> also reflects these changing approaches to screen time \u2013 some parents loosened their rules during the pandemic, while others became stricter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-11492\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/04\/28\/how-parents-views-of-their-kids-screen-time-social-media-use-changed-during-covid-19\/ft_2022-04-28_kidsandscreens_05a-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d9e1e6\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d9e1e6;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" height=\"492\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?w=640\" alt=\"A chart showing that some parents\u2019 approaches to managing kids\u2019 screen time changed over the first year of the coronavirus pandemic\" class=\"wp-image-11492 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=300,231 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=768,590 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=1024,787 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=527,405 527w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=200,154 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=260,200 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=310,238 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=420,323 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=640,492 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=740,569 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=160,123 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/04\/ft_2022.04.28_kidsandscreens_05a.png?resize=320,246 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some parents whose child was 5 to 11 in March 2020, for example, became more attentive to what their child was doing online over time: 15% of these parents said they checked their kid\u2019s website or app usage in 2021 \u2013 and that they had <em>not<\/em> done this in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changes in parenting approaches also extended to the times of day children could use screens. For example, about half of parents of a 5- to 11-year-old child in 2020 (48%) said in 2021 that they would allow their child to use mobile devices just before bedtime. Some had loosened their stance from a year prior: 16% reported being OK with this in 2021 after saying the opposite in 2020. On the other hand, 8% tightened their restrictions \u2013 they were no longer OK with their child using mobile devices just before bed. Some 43% of parents consistently were not OK with it, while 32% consistently were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The unique approach of this study \u2013 surveying parents about a specific child and looking at how individual parents\u2019 responses changed over time \u2013 provides a window into children\u2019s pandemic experiences with technology. Still, parents may not always know what devices their children use or exactly how much time they spend on them. And beyond these findings, it is important to note that screen time can take many forms and that there are healthy debates about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/20\/parenting\/kids-screen-time-benefits-covid.html\">whether<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/03\/22\/health\/pandemic-kids-screen-time-wellness\/index.html\">how<\/a> screen time affects children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Note: Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Kids-and-screens-amid-COVID-19-Methodology-Topline_FINAL.pdf\">the questions, responses and methodology<\/a> used for this analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In April 2021, we followed up with many of the same parents surveyed in March 2020 on their children\u2019s use of technology and social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":584,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-04-28T16:59:11Z","apple_news_api_id":"fc483d0d-7f38-4b18-8f9f-b99a76ccca42","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-06-12T15:07:09Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A_Eg9DX84SxiPn7madszKQg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"relatedPosts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[291,448,409,403,228,307,424],"bylines":[667],"collection":[],"datasets":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[467],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[526],"class_list":["post-8489","short-read","type-short-read","status-publish","hentry","category-children-tech","category-coronavirus-disease-covid-19","category-covid-19-technology","category-instagram","category-parenthood","category-social-media","category-tiktok","bylines-colleen-mcclain","formats-short-read","regions-countries-united-states","research-teams-internet"],"label":"Short 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