Toy Story 5 highlights summer screen time challenges for parents
9 reported
A new report from online safety company Aura, based on data from nearly 30,000 devices, finds that children ages 7 to 12 spend about 30% more time on screens during summer — roughly four extra hours per week compared to the school year. The report also shows that 75% of children ages 7 to 11 said they would rather watch videos than play with toys, a statistic that mirrors the plot of the upcoming film Toy Story 5. In the movie, 8-year-old Bonnie begins ignoring her toys after receiving a tablet. Pediatrician Dr. Jason Nagata of the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study, said the findings align with previous research and noted that the lack of school structure makes it easy for children to reach for devices. The report also found that nearly 70% of children are on their devices by mid-afternoon, and 1 in 10 remain active at midnight. Experts quoted in the article recommend providing fun alternatives to screens, creating family media plans, and modeling healthy screen use.
What’s reported
Aura’s report, based on data from nearly 30,000 devices, found that children ages 7 to 12 spend about 30% more time on screens during summer, equivalent to four more hours per week.
75% of children ages 7 to 11 said they would rather watch videos than play with toys.
For teens, screen time increases by 15% during summer compared to the school year.
Nearly 70% of children are on their devices by mid-afternoon, and 1 in 10 remain active at midnight.
Nighttime messaging rates more than double across all age groups compared to fall.
One in three children score low on Aura’s Digital Wellbeing Index as summer progresses, correlating with sleep, mood, isolation, and emotion regulation.
More than half of children and teens surveyed recognize that too much screen time is not good for them.
36% of children ranked spending time with friends higher than using a tablet (20%), and 24% ranked going outside higher.
A 2023 American Camp Association survey found that 90% of summer camps banned cell phones and tablets.
Key figures
Lauren Lee, psychologist at Aura
Dr. Jason Nagata, pediatrician at University of California, San Francisco
Niki Cordell, summer camp owner in Chicago (Junior Chefs Kitchen)
Merve Lapus, vice president of education, outreach and engagement for Common Sense Media
Simmons Hanson, teacher and mother of three in Washington D.C.
Sallie Chappell Hanson, 11-year-old daughter of Simmons Hanson
Sources: NPR
