Many adults are worried about the impact of media on young people. Still, parental mediation in the use of television is very low. Parental involvement in their children’s use of the Internet is even lower, with 90% of respondents’ parents never or only sometimes checking what their child is watching or doing while online. These are some of the results of a survey conducted by psychologist Éva Kósa, professor at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Piliscsaba, and sociologist Miklós László at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, in Hungary. Education in media literacy was also found to be rare, with 67% of the respondents believing this is important but 58% saying they did not receive this education at school.
The report comments on some of the results from a questionnaire that was part of an array of studies/research (questionnaire, interviews, focus groups, content analysis, etc.). A total of 2,024 students from primary and secondary schools aged 12 and 17 years participated. The study is a follow-up to a prior one, conducted in 2005.
Other results reveal information regarding young people’s media use and preferences as regards media devices. In 2005 15% of families did not have a computer, whereas in 2009 it has become a piece of “basic equipment”, with only 3% saying they do not have one. Among families, 40% had Internet access at home in 2005 while in 2009 the share was 84%. The use of the Internet, computer use in general and PC games are also major factors in the notable growth in time spent with media compared to figures from 2005. Total screen time (TV, video/DVD, Internet, computer use and PC games) went from 411 minutes in 2005 to 575 in 2009, an increase of 164 minutes.
According to the authors of the report, the growing amount of time spent using media in combination with a low level of parental mediation and lack of media education is troublesome. Effective steps are needed to promote the healthy development of children and young people, for successful and competent social integration and for the improvement of media understanding.