Too many toys too little time

By Jaren Cornwall Posted January, 12, 2011

Today there are many things to waste the time of today’s teens. From video games to social media, teens have all kinds of things to waste their time and consume their attention. Here are a few, along with some surprising facts about the things we use every day.

Among the many things that modern teens do in their spare time, Facebook is a large player. According to facebook.com, it has over 500 million active users, almost eleven percent of which are teens. Facebook users spend a total of 700 billion minutes on Facebook every month. Facebook is also accessed by 200 million users a month via mobile devices like phones. Desiree Hicks’ comments.

Desiree Hicks. /Courtesy •  Winnada
Desiree Hicks. /Courtesy • Winnada

Q: Why do you like Facebook?

A: “I like Facebook because it allows me to be able to talk to friends and family I’m not able to talk to or see on a regular basis.”

Q: How do you think Facebook affects the modern teen?

Facebook logo. /Courtesy • Facebook
Facebook logo. /Courtesy • Facebook

A: “It can affect the modern teen because I think at times with all the games and people to chat with it becomes addicting to them.”

Q: Is Facebook a positive or negative influence on teens?

A: I think there is a positive and a negative thing when it comes to regards to Americans using Facebook. The positive being able to talk to the ones you love and can’t be with. The negative being some teens get carried away and some get hurt due to comments or fighting with others over Facebook.

Jack Hill. /Courtesy •  Winnada
Jack Hill. /Courtesy • Winnada

At the forefront of things that teens do in their spare time comes video games. Over 67 percent of American households own and play video games of all kinds. With the average gamer playing video games for about eight hours a week, video games are a large influence and pastime of teens. Of all the people who play video games 25 percent of them are 18 and under. Though there are differing opinions about the effects of video games on teens, they will always play them. Jack Hill comments.

Nintendo NES. /Courtesy
Nintendo NES. /Courtesy

Q: What kind of console do you have?

A: “I have a PS3”

Q: Why do you like PS3 or video games in general?

A: “I Like it because its fun, enjoyable and it gives you something fun to do when you are bored.”

Q: How do you think video games affect the modern teen?

A: “I think video games affect teens in both positive and negative ways. It depends on the person. Positively it affects teens by making them feel good like a metaphorical drug, and it gives them a “goal” so to speak to beat a game.
Negatively it can make their rude attitude come out, make them angry when their parents make them go do something that they get pulled away from their game. It might also cause sleep deprivation because they just want to play their games.”

Sky Armstrong. /Courtesy •  Winnada
Sky Armstrong. /Courtesy • Winnada

With 75 percent of 12-17 year-olds now owning cell phones (pewresearch.org), you could say that cell phones are a big part of the life of the modern teenager. According to pewreaserch.com, 54 percent of teens would rather text than call, making texting the most prominent form of communication between teens and their friends. Sky Armstrong comments.

Cell phone. /Courtesy
Cell phone. /Courtesy

Q: Why do you like having a phone?

A: “Well I like having a phone because it lets me talk to people wherever I am.”

Q: Would you rather text someone or call them?

A: “I would rather text someone than call them.”

Q: How often do you use your phone?

A: “I use my phone like 12 hours a day.”

Q: Could you live without your phone?

A: “No I could not live without my phone because it is like part of me without it I might die!”

Sawyer Woolever. /Courtesy •  Winnada
Sawyer Woolever. /Courtesy • Winnada

Another one of the many things that teens spend their time on is watching TV. In America, 99 percent of households have at least one television set. The average American watches TV for more than four hours each day, amounting to about 28 hours a week, two months out of the year, and nine years of the life of a 65-year-old. American teens see approximately 200,000 acts of violence on TV by 18 years of age. This all amounts to the TV being a large influence on teens. Sawyer Woolever comments.

TV. /Courtesy
TV. /Courtesy

Q: Do you think TV is a positive or negative influence?

A: “I believe television is positive unless it is a show that is graphic and a child sees it.”

Q: What is your favorite show?

A: “My favorite show is ‘Invader Zim’.”

Q: How often do you watch TV?

A: “About four hours a day.”

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