The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop  today released the report Families Matter: Designing Media for a Digital Age , documenting how digital technology is changing the rhythm of family life. The report finds that families are in a transition period, one in which parents recognize the importance of technology in their children’s learning and future success, but don’t always grant them access to the newer forms of media transforming their own adult lives. 

A national survey of 800 parents of young children (ages 3-10) found that nearly two-thirds limit media consumption on a case-by-case basis. Of parents surveyed, 57% recognize that digital media presents ways for children to converse and connect with friends and family, but two-thirds of parents may restrict their children from chatting online and visiting social networking sites.

The study also revealed that only half of parents are playing with their kids on newer platforms such as video game consoles, opting to spend more time with their children engaged in more traditional activities including watching television, reading books and playing board games. their academic achievement.

The report offers recommendations to bolster the development of media content that can support learning and encourage adult-child interactions.