Sports and playing are more popular than video games
The MIKE study conducted by the ZHAW and the Youth and Media Platform regularly records how children spend their free time and use media. The results show that non-media activities remain significant.
Digital media were very popular during the pandemic. Now, primary school children once again prefer to spend their leisure time doing sports and playing games. They meet up with friends or spend time with their family. Meanwhile, digital activities such as playing video games or watching TV come second. “The pandemic had no long-term impact on six- to thirteen-year-olds’ media usage behaviour,” research associate Lilian Suter explains. She is a media psychologist at the ZHAW School of Applied Psychology and a member of the MIKE study project team. According to the data collected in 2021 and published in 2023, media consumption has returned to similar levels as before pandemic-related restrictions. Now, however, primary school children spend more time on activities such as painting, drawing and crafting. “These activities have remained popular beyond the pandemic,” Suter says. Altogether, the gathered data had been primarily consistent, with only slight changes since 2015.
Internet and smartphones more important
The most important activities for primary school children are watching TV, listening to music and reading books. Between 70 and 80 percent of children engage in these pastimes at least once a week. Two-thirds of children regularly play video games and use the internet. During primary school, the media repertoire becomes more varied. The older the children, the more often they use smartphones. Three-quarters of twelve- to thirteen-year-olds already have their own device. Streaming services such as Netflix have also become more important over the years. The list of the most popular audiovisual content is led by Harry Potter, followed by Naruto, Squid Game and Pokémon. “The example set by parents is crucial,” the media psychologist says. She adds that children observe closely and learn from their role models. As the MIKE Study shows, most parents feel capable when it comes to raising children in the digital age.