NEWS COPY
The average American will spend 35 days, or a THIRD of their summer, staring at a screen, according to a new survey.
With warmer weather finally arriving in most parts of the country and the school year winding down to a close, Groupon asked 1,000 U.S. parents how much time their families plan to spend on their electronic devices this summer––and the results were staggering.
Respondents said their family will spend an average of just under six hours a day staring at smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and other devices - just over a third of the average 16 hour waking day.
That equates to the equivalent of 35 days of their summer or over a third of the season spent using their electronic devices.
The survey, which was conducted for Groupon’s Funtacular Fun Fest (gr.pn/funfest) running from May 18-20, found that the average child will watch an estimated 60 movies and play 150 hours of video games over the summer months.
“We love technology, but we also think it should be in the service of something we love even more, which is spending time with our families and experiencing the compelling local activities offered during the summer months and throughout the year,” said Greg Rudin, head of Fun Things To Do at Groupon.
“As parents, we’re often just as guilty as our kids when it comes to screen time, which is why it’s important for the entire family to put down our devices every once in a while and go make some memories together”.
When asked how too much screen time affected their children, 77 percent of parents said screen exposure influenced their child’s mood, 62 percent said they face regular battles to get their children to put down their device.
While almost half (43 percent) of moms and dads say their child’s tech usage does impact their sleep and settling down at night.
And their children weren’t the only ones impacted by too much screen time, parents said they feel like they personally waste one of out every four weekends per month and throw away nine non-working days over the summer due to their own inactivity.
Too many hours of TV, a lack of engaging with other family members and not trying anything new were the most likely things to lead to the feeling of wasting a weekend or summer day.
But our increased reliance on screen time is impacting upon family time throughout the summer – 87 percent of parents long to be able to take a break from their tech and participate in more outdoor activities with their family.
Parents were asked the top five ways that families can make sure they get the most out of their summer without being consumed by their electronics, and they identified the following:
- Hitting the beach
- Attending a BBQ
- Going on a road trip
- Visiting a zoo
- Going to a water park
But according to parents, ditching the technology and spending more time with the kids over the summer months won’t come cheap. The survey asked parents to imagine their perfect family weekend and found Moms and Dads estimating it would cost $2,328.
Parents said they would spend $1,465 on travel, lodging, taxis and fuel––with an additional $510 spent on admissions and tickets to attractions and evening entertainment. Parents also estimate that they’ll spend $353 on meals during the perfect family weekend.
For those families looking to have the perfect weekend on just about any budget, Groupon’s Funtacular Fun Fest offers a number of deals on top summer activities, including amusement parks, festivals, museums, sporting events, water parks, zoos and more. To view the entire collection, please visit gr.pn/funfest.
For more information on the survey results and links to top savings on things that you can do with your family, please visit INSERT LANDING PAGE.
CALCULATIONS
MATH
5.79 hours of screen time daily
x 105 days (15 weeks) of summer
= 607.95 hours of screen time during the summer
24 hours in a day
- 8 hours of sleep a night
= 16 waking hours in a day
16 waking hours in a day
x 15 weeks of summer
= 1,680 waking hours of summer
5.79 tech hours in a day
x 15 summer weeks
= 607.95 tech hours during the summer
1,680 waking hours of summer_____
607.95 tech hours during the summer = 36.18% of the summer spent using a device.
COST OF THE PERFECT FAMILY SUMMER WEEKEND:
Cost of travel for the perfect family summer weekend: $1,465
Cost of tickets and activities for the perfect family weekend: $510
Cost of food for the perfect family summer weekend: $353
Total: $2,328
ENDS