A new study from Northwestern University, which analyzes previous studies on media use done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, has found that minority youths ages 8 - 18 years old consume an average of 13 hours of media content a day. This, researchers say, is about 4.5 hours more than white youth. Researchers found that minority youth spend one to two more hours a day than white youth watching TV and videos, an hour more listening to music, around 90 minutes more on computers, and as much as 30 - 40 minutes more playing video games.
TV consumption (including TiVo, DVDs and mobile and online viewing) totaled 5 hours and 54 minutes a day for African Americans, 5 hours and 21 minutes for Hispanics, 4 hours and 41 minutes for Asians and 3 hours 36 minutes for whites.
The average amount of time spent using cellphones, iPods and other mobile devices (to watch TV and videos, play games and listen to music) was 3 hours 7 minutes a day for Asians, 2 hours 53 minutes for Hispanics, 2 hours 52 minutes for African Americans and 1 hour 20 minutes for whites.
The average amount of "recreational" computer use was 2 hours 53 minutes a day for Asians, 1 hour 49 minutes for Hispanics, 1 hour 24 minutes for African Americans and 1 hour 17 minutes for whites.
The ratio of youth who use entertainment media while doing homework was 35 percent among African Americans and Hispanics, 30 percent among Asians and 28 percent among whites.
Youth in all racial/ethnic groups spent 30 to 40 minutes a day reading for pleasure.
The study was presented Wednesday in Washington, D.C., at the Lambert Family Communication Conference on Children, Media and Race. The research is being categorized as "preliminary" because it has not been peer-reviewed.
