KEY POINTS:
If you think the kids are spending more and more time in front of a computer these days - you're right.
A survey released in Australia today tells a story of the 21st century nuclear family as one whose children are media-rich; who have multiple communications devices in
the home; who value the internet and are striking a comfortable balance in their children's use of media.
The study found most Australian families with children older than eight now have three televisions, three mobile phones, a gaming console and internet access.
The research was carried out by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The Media and Communications in Australian Families 2007 report surveyed a representative sample of 751 family households with children aged between 8 and 17 to gauge media use in the home, how young people divide their leisure time and how parents view their children's use of media and communications technologies.
The report found that on average, children in that age group spend an hour and 15 minutes online every day, and more than 42 per cent of all children say they have posted their own content online on social networking sites such as FaceBook and MySpace.
Uploading and downloading music on file sharing sites is also a much-favoured activity.
The tv set plays as important a role as ever in the average home, and its influence is increasing.
In 1995, just 8 per cent of children had a television in their bedroom. This year that figure jumped to one in five, and half of those have their own internet connection. In Britain, 70 per cent children have a TV in their bedroom. In the US, the figure is 75 per cent.
If you're amazed at your children's capacity to seemingly do a multitude of things at once, don't be alarmed - that's also normal behaviour these days.
The children of today can easily do a bunch of things at the same time, often surfing the internet while watching TV, or texting their friends while watching a DVD. The research found that teenagers spend three hours a day on more than one task and squeeze 12 hours of activity into seven.
All of this multimedia saturation in kids' lives doesn't seem to worry parents unduly, however.
Many parents said they worry more about drugs than about the negative effects of media.
The researchers are well aware of all the common parental concerns.
"It is natural for parents today to be concerned that their child may be vulnerable to media risks," said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.
"And there are many groups and individuals in society who are very concerned that there are not enough checks on access to media content that may be harmful to children.
"It's also natural for the communications sector to be worried that government regulation is going to stifle innovation and impede existing and emerging business models.
"Ultimately it's the government's role to address all of these concerns and strike an appropriate balance", said Chapman in a statement.
MAIN FINDINGS OF THE AUSTRALIAN STUDY
* Most families with children aged 8 to 17 have three or more televisions in their home and three or more mobile phones. Almost every family home has a computer (98 per cent) and DVD player (97 per cent).
* Nine-in-ten family homes with children have the internet, and 76 per cent of these homes have broadband compared to just seven per cent in 1995. More than three-quarters of family homes have a games console.
* Almost all parents with children aged 8 to 17 see the internet as beneficial for their children, mainly as providing learning or educational opportunities. Similarly, four-fifths of these parents see benefits in their child's use of a mobile phone, particularly for safety and security.
* Families say electronic media and communications activities take up around half of young people's total discretionary time - a proportion that has not changed since 1995. Children themselves demonstrate a balanced attitude to the use of electronic media and communications. When given a preference, young people often prefer to do non-media activities and socialise with other people.
