1. Parenting in the Age of Digital
Technology
Results from a National Survey
conducted by Center on Media and Human
Development School of Communication
Northwestern University
June 2013
Created by Erica Piper

2. Favorite Family Activities
Percent of parents of 0- to 8-year-olds who say
their family enjoys doing each activity together

3. Mobile Technology Ownership
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Smartphone Tablet
Device
Handheld
video game
Video ipod e-Reader
71%
42% 42%
25% 25%
Percent of families with children ages 0–8 with each item in the home

4. New Media Technologies in the Home
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Smartphone Tablet Device Both
71%
42%
35%
Among parents of children ages 0–8,
percent who have new media devices in the household.

5. Personal Media Devices
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
29%
24%
7% 6%
2% 1%
Percent of children ages 0–8 with their own devices

6. Mobile Technology Ownership,
by Income
Less
than
$25k
$25k-
$49k
$50k-
$99k
$100k+
Smartphone 61% 65% 75% 80%
Tablet device 19% 30% 47% 65%
E-Reader 13% 19% 28% 37%
Video iPod 11% 20% 29% 33%
Percent of parents of 0- to 8-year-olds with each item in the household

7. Parenting and New Media
Technologies
3%
26%
36%
33%
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Among parents of 0–8 year-olds,
percent who agree/ disagree that
“smartphones and tablet devices make parenting easier.”

8. Background Television
7%
28%
43%
17%
4%
Always
Most of the Time
Some of the Time
Hardly Ever
Never
Percent of homes with children ages 0–8 where the TV is left on in the background

9. TV in the Bedroom
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Under 2 yrs old 2-5 yrs old 6-8 yrs old
21%
36% 40%
Percent of children with a TV in their bedroom, by age

10. All of the data presented in these slides is from:
Center on Media and Human Development. (2013, June) Parenting in the age of digital
technology: a national survey. Retrieved from
http://web5.soc.northwestern.edu/cmhd/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Parenting-
Report_FINAL.pdf