There are three important studies introduced in this module. First is The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens. The Common Sense Census is American-based research focused on different age groups. The report provided in this module focuses on children from the age groups 8 to 12 – tweens, and 13 to 18 – teens. Unlike other research mentioned here, The Common Sense Census focuses on consumption patterns of all types of media both online and offline, on-screen and off-screen. The research focuses on the total time spent consuming specific media and devices used. It provides age group and gender comparisons. You can also learn about the role of social inequalities regarding media consumption and the resulting digital divide. To get acquainted with the research read pages 1-13.

From research conducted in Europe, we have chosen The EU Kids Online Survey. The survey focuses on children's online activities, opportunities, risks, and safety across several European countries. Go through pages 18-34 to get an overview of the findings on children's media habits. The survey report contains a brief country profile for each of the countries that participated in the research as well. For country-specific results of the survey, you can have a look at the results provided on pages 137-156 and focus on your country of origin.

The third major study we recommend is Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2020/21 conducted by Ofcom which regulates communication services in the UK. Ofcom reports on digital media use and its shifts during the pandemics of COVID-19. The document includes both information on media use of children and related parental attitudes. To get acquainted with the key findings read the chapters Media device use and Online access (p. 10-11) and pages 13-14 in the chapter Content consumption.

Media use is changing through time but also across different age groups. Based on the content recommended in the previous section, try to summarize the following information:

• How much time do children falling in the age group 7-12 spend consuming media? How does the time spent with media consumption change based on age?
• What are the dominant media types/platforms that children aged 7-12 use?
• There are various ways to engage with media e.g. watching, playing, chatting, and listening. Name different media types/platforms that children aged 7-12 use for different activities.